Technology Foresight Programmein the Czech Republic

Karel KlusacekTechnology Centre AS CR

The Second International Conference on Technology Foresight Tokyo, 27-28 February 2003

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Structure of this presentation

• State-supported R&D in the Czech Republic

• Technology foresight exercise– Reasons

– Objectives

– Method

– Results

• Conclusions and future activities

3

State-supported R&D (public sources)

Education39%

Health6%

Czech Grant Agency

9%

Industry9%

Academy of Sciences

26%

Transport and Communication

1%

Defense3%

Environment3%

Agriculture4%

Public sources: 12.5 billion CZK in 2002, 0.54% GDP

Private sources: 16.5 billion CZK in 2002, 0.75% GDP

Main recipients: Ministries, Academy of Sciences, Czech Grant Agency

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State-supported R&D

• Large number of small underfinanced projects• Too many research topics supported

1186

1431

986

48

963

1331

595

86

529

663

177

9185

474

1265

179

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600

< 100 100-250 250-500 500-1000 1000-2500 2500-5000 5000-10000 > 10000

financial subsidy, CZK thousands

nu

mb

er

of

pro

ject

s

1998

2001

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TF-basic objectives

• To select– a limited number of „key research

directions“ (national research priorities) for new National Research Programme (NRP)

• To suggest– a suitable system for management of the NRP

– rules for the NRP implementation

Limited number of selected national research priorities should receive preferential funding from public resources ~ 80% of the total project-type financing available

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TF – background information

• Project was ordered by the Czech Government through the Ministry of Education

• Project was managed by the consortium of the Technology Centre AS CR (principal contractor) and the Engineering Academy CR

• Project deadline: 30.12.2001 (exercise lasted 13 months)

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TF - stages of the project

Interviews (demand side)

Desk research (strategic docs, economy, R&D structure)

Sectoral SWOT analyses (experts)

Panels: development scenarios, list of important research directions, first prioritisation, voting procedure, discussion, list of key research directions,

cross-cutting measures

Working group: cross-thematic topics, second prioritisation, aggregation, final list of priorities of oriented research, final cross-cutting measures,recommended programme implementation and method of management

Public presentation of interim results, feedback

Final report to government, public presentation of final results, dissemination

Appointment of a management group

Structure building Identification of Sectors Location of experts

XII 2000

VI-IX 2001

X 2001

X-XI 2001

XII 2001

III-VI 2001

I-III 2001

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TF - panels

• Social Transformation• Agriculture and Food

• Environment

• Health and Pharmacy

• Construction, Urbanism and Housing

• Information Society

• Materials

• Discrete Manufacturing

• Machinery and Equipment

• Devices and Instruments

• Chemical Products and Processes

• Transport Systems

• Energy and Raw Materials

13 application sectors (panels)

3 cross-cutting panels

1 systemic panel

• Human Resources for R&D

• Integrated R&D

• Regional and International Co-operation in R&D

• Management and Implementation of the National Research Programme

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Panelscreation

• one of the most critical points of the project

• typically 15-20 experts

• mixed background – research, industry, business, government

• chairperson – a respected „strategic thinker“ assisted by secretary

• members suggested by important stakeholders (institutions), individual recommendations, co-nomination

• about 300 experts of 1000

• panel members received a modest fee to compensate for travels and other expenses

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Panelsrepresentation of sectors

Government5%

Industrial Research

17%

Academy of Sciences

14%

Universities37%

Application sector27%

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Thematic Programme

Results developmentThematic Programmes

Panels

Development scenarios

List of IRDs

Panels

First prioritisation

(importance x feasibility)

On-line voting procedure

List of KRDs

Working Group

Second prioritisation

Final (reduced) list of KRDs

Sub-programmes

Working Group

Allocation of final KRDs to sub-programmes

Grouping of sub-programmes into

thematic programmes

IRDIRD

IRDIRD

IRDIRD

IRDIRD

IRDIRD

IRD

KRDKRD

KRDKRD

1st prioritisationin panels

Sub-programme

Sub-programme

2nd prioritisation and agregationin the WG

612 163 90 5 (19)

KRDKRD

allocation of KRDs

grouping of sub-pgms

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Final remarks (1)

• Project +– full commitment of the Government as a

consequence of the Government demand– clearly defined tasks– wide support of the research community– understanding in industry

• Project –– expertise and policy mixed– insufficient time (12 months) – stressing

conditions, each mistake was dangerous, no time for complex consensual discussions across the society

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• Project resulted into 19 thematic and 19 cross-cutting sub-programs, 90 key research directions

• Implementation principles and operational rules outlined

• Important side-products: interviews of ~300 industrial and service companies (a demand side), complex analyses of application sectors, development scenarios for main industries

• General principles of the National Programme of Research (NPR) based on the Project results was approved by the Czech Government in May 2002

• Minor modifications in the NPR management still expected till the end of March 2003 (new Act on the Public Support to the R&D)

• Assumed start of the NPR: 1 January 2004

• NPR will have a budget corresponding to ~80% of the project-type funding from public resources (about 50% of the total public funding for R&D)

Final remarks (2)

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• A permanent discussion forum established via Internet (former panel members +)

• Raising interest on foresight activities in “decision-making circles” (Czech Government)

• Follow-up: National Technology Foresight Programme – a strategic competence building for policy-makers, likely to start in January 2004

• For more information: www.foresight.cz

Final remarks (3)