Understanding Technology Assessment

• Computer System / IT Sectors

In the computer system and IT industries, decision makers are mainly concerned of the technical and economic factors involved in a project. The industry will always look for ways on how technological development can most effectively be influenced.

For example, the largest civil engineering project in human history is currently into its second stage in China, where a hydroelectric dam will be built across the Yang-Xi River, the longest river in China. They are as according to Eijndhoven []:

 Classical Technology Assessment

 Office of Technology Assessment (OTA)

 Public Technology Assessment

 Constructive Technology Assessment (CTA)

• Classical Technology Assessment

In the 1970s, the earliest form of technology assessment was defined by V.

In terms of CTA’s incorporation in today’s decision-making processes, CTA still faces a long journey to be adopted by all the communities in the world. But it was then realized the “early warning system” lacked neither the knowledge nor the power to change the course of technological development, where often the society can only adapts to the new technology as the last resort. [4]

Technology assessment activities exist because of the complexity and vagueness of the technology-society interface, and such interface often describes the work of engineers.

Unfortunately the Office of Technology Assessment was abolished in 1980s as the result of the Washington politics and budget cuts. But this method is more appropriate to be used in ethical issues such as human cloning. They are: Committee primacy principle; Stakeholders’ involvement; and Quality control of the final report. But through the evolvement of the technology assessment, the modern technology assessment paradigm now consist of not only the analysis on technology development but also fostering the public debates on its consequences, as well as inducing the view points of citizens in the process of political forum, which could help the actors on technology development strategies and define subjects for further technology assessment. For example the popular use of the mobile phones, the society could only adapt to its use as quickly as possible (otherwise there is a fear that he/she might be fallen behind in society’s pace), even though there are still debates on whether the radiation emitted by the mobile phones have negative effects to human cells. Other factors such as environmental and political regulations are considered as constraints along the processes in reaching its ultimate goal – greater market share and growing profit.