The role of FTA in responding to grand challenges: A new approach for STI policy?

The Fourth International Seville Conference on Future-Oriented Technology Analysis (FTA) held in May 2011, focussed on the need and potential of FTA to address disruptive transformations in global and national structures, systems, rules and practices in response to grand societal challenges. This introductory paper provides an overview of selected conference contributions and the perspectives in which they address key issues in the development and implementation of FTA in relation to these challenges. These papers examine the reorientation of research and innovation systems and the integration of FTA within them. New approaches to FTA are also examined, with lessons drawn from the experiences at both national and international levels in the application of FTA.