TY - JOUR
T1 - Sustainable governance of emerging technologies-Critical constellations in the agent network of nanotechnology
AU - Wiek, Arnim
AU - Zemp, Stefan
AU - Siegrist, Michael
AU - Walter, Alexander I.
N1 - Funding Information:
Key agents in the category of government research funding agencies are the Commission for Technology and Innovation (KTI), Swiss Academy of Engineering Sciences (SATW), and the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF). During the period 2005–2008, public expenditures for R&D managed by the SNSF will amount to 19 million Swiss francs [78] . These funds are more than doubled by matching amounts invested by R&D companies [79] .
PY - 2007/11
Y1 - 2007/11
N2 - Emerging technologies, such as nanotechnology, feature considerable uncertainty regarding benefits that can be realized and unwanted side effects that ought to be avoided. Sustainable governance of emerging technologies addresses this issue from an integrated societal perspective that proposes collaboration among agents from science, business, government, and the public during the process of technological innovation and diffusion. In this paper, we present agent network analysis as a method to identify critical constellations in the agent network against the normative background of sustainable governance. Results from a transdisciplinary study on the agent network of nanotechnology in Switzerland reveal, among others, missing key agents, non-fulfillment of required functions, non-availability of required knowledge, and deviations between self- and cross-perception. The study contributes to methodological discussions on the formation of agent networks in science, technology, and public policy studies.
AB - Emerging technologies, such as nanotechnology, feature considerable uncertainty regarding benefits that can be realized and unwanted side effects that ought to be avoided. Sustainable governance of emerging technologies addresses this issue from an integrated societal perspective that proposes collaboration among agents from science, business, government, and the public during the process of technological innovation and diffusion. In this paper, we present agent network analysis as a method to identify critical constellations in the agent network against the normative background of sustainable governance. Results from a transdisciplinary study on the agent network of nanotechnology in Switzerland reveal, among others, missing key agents, non-fulfillment of required functions, non-availability of required knowledge, and deviations between self- and cross-perception. The study contributes to methodological discussions on the formation of agent networks in science, technology, and public policy studies.
KW - Agent network
KW - Cross-perception analysis
KW - Emerging technologies
KW - Nanotechnology
KW - Sustainable governance
KW - Transdisciplinary research
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U2 - 10.1016/j.techsoc.2007.08.010
DO - 10.1016/j.techsoc.2007.08.010
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:35348834885
SN - 0160-791X
VL - 29
SP - 388
EP - 406
JO - Technology in Society
JF - Technology in Society
IS - 4
ER -