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)