National Assembly futures Institute became a member of the EPTA(European Parliamentary Technology Assessment) network
During the 2019 Council meeting held in Stockholm, Sweden on 10-11 October, the National Assembly futures Institute (President Park Jin) was accepted as the 11th associate member of EPTA (European Parliamentary Technology Assessment).
The EPTA is a network of technology assessment (TA) institutions specializing in advising parliamentary bodies in Europe. There are currently 12 full members from Europe including Sweden and 10 associate members outside of Europe including USA. No full membership is granted for non-European countries. By predicting and responding to the impact of the development of science and technology on society in advance, the EPTA aims to maximize positive and minimize negative effects of it. We are sharing research results. EPTA also shares detailed research results of each country on global issues by establishing a common agenda and conducting research.The membership gives the NAFI an opportunity to represent the Republic of Korea in the international network for technology impact assessment. In particular, as the 11th Associate Member and the second country in Asia to join after Japan, it allows the NAFI to lead the technology impact assessment in Asia. Currently, the NAFI is preparing for preliminary research for the technology impact assessment and is setting the direction of the research to revitalize the technology impact assessment.
Prepared by : research fellow of the NAFI Kim Hong-Beom (02-2224-9803, hbkimim@nafi.re.kr)
※ Please schedule it for morning report on October 23, 2019.
During the 2019 Council meeting held in Stockholm, Sweden on 10-11 October, the National Assembly futures Institute (President Park Jin) was accepted as the 11th associate member of EPTA (European Parliamentary Technology Assessment). Becoming a member of EPTA is a precondition for attending its closed-door meeting. The member countries carefully reviewed the National Assembly Futures Institute including the role as the support organization of the National Assembly, conducting independent research, independent budgets, and conducting technology impact assessments etc. and the membership was finally approved after an active discussion. Up to now, the Korea Institute of Science and Technology Evaluation and Planning(KISTEP) and others have made efforts to join as a member, however, it was rejected at the meeting of member countries.
The Significance of Joining EPTA
The EPTA is a network of technology assessment (TA) institutions specializing in advising parliamentary bodies in Europe. There are currently 12 full members from Europe including Sweden and 10 associate members outside of Europe including USA. No full membership is granted for non-European countries. By predicting and responding to the impact of the development of science and technology on society in advance, the EPTA aims to maximize positive and minimize negative effects of it. We are sharing research results. EPTA also shares detailed research results of each country on global issues by establishing a common agenda and conducting research.
The technology impact assessment was conducted in the United States in the 1970s to proactively respond to the technology development through a democratic evaluation approach involving researchers, experts and the public. The U.S. conducted an expert-centered technology impact assessment with the Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) in 1974, and after which the OTA was abolished in 1995, it is now operated under the control of Government Accountability Office (GAO). In Europe, starting with OPECST (Office Parlementaire d'Evaluation des Choix Scientifique Technologie), the first official technology impact assessment agency in Europe, in France in 1983, the technology impact assessment has been introduced and carried out in various forms and methods in European countries including the UK, the Netherlands, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland etc.
EPTA, established in 1990, shares the results of technology impact assessments of European countries on various topics and provides opinions to the European Parliament. Through this, it suggests an important direction in enacting related laws and promoting policies. At the EPTA conference held in the Swedish Parliament on October 10-11, various countries including European countries, the United States as well as other countries, have released related information under the theme of “Technologies in care for older people”. In particular, Japan, which has entered a super-aged society, showed the progress in various technologies for supporting the elderly in Japan through the exhibitions of photo and various real life robots supporting the elderly.
Before the conference where various discussions on related topics were held, the NAFI attended at the closed- door meeting that only member countries were allowed to participate and explained the necessity of joining the EPTA to the member countries. After a question-and-answer session with member countries, the NAFI has finally been confirmed join the EPTA as an Associate Member. Research Fellow of the NAFI Kim Hong-Beom, who participated in the conference, said, “It is very meaningful since the membership gives the NAFI is given an opportunity to represent the Republic of Korea in the international network for technology impact assessment as a result of all efforts initiated in last June.” Also, as the 11th Associate Member and the second country in Asia to join after Japan, it allows the NAFI to lead the technology impact assessment in Asia. And at a closed-door meeting with the member countries, Germany was confirmed as the chair country in 2020, and the Netherlands was recommended as the chair country in 2021.
The NAFI will introduce the results of technology impact assessments conducted annually by the Ministry of Science and ICT as well as the one conducted by universities and research institutes to the international cooperation network. In addition, the NAFI will develop joint agendas in every May and share results of researches on related issues by participating in a conference held in October. Through these, the NAFI will secure research results from the international community and share the current status of the Republic of Korea. Currently, the NAFI is preparing for preliminary research for technology impact assessment, and is setting the direction of the research to activate technology impact assessment.
Prepared by : research fellow of the NAFI Kim Hong-Beom (02-2224-9803, hbkimim@nafi.re.kr)
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