Gateway to the Future

The complexity, uncertainty and speed of change that are a feature of contemporary issues and capabilities require a new approach to planning and decision-making. Extrapolations and insights from the past are essential, but often very misleading. The need to develop and refine methods for more explicitly addressing the challenges of the future and to build on the experiences of our efforts, are now widely recognised.

This Gateway is designed to assist those who wish to address the challenges of the future in their own, context, environment, world. It will provide:

• links to the major websites of professional individuals and organisations engaged in rigorous use and development of foresight, and anticipatory and strategic intelligence – LINKS –

§ European Foresight Monitoring Network - http://www.efmn.info/ , 88 briefs, 1408 foresight initiatives

§ George Washington University Technology Forecasts - http://www.gwforecast.gwu.edu

§ NISTEP, Japan, Delphi forecasts in latest ‘Science and Technology Indicators’ Report; also quarterly S&T trends - http://www.nistep.go.jp/index-e.html

§ UN Millenium Project, Annual State of the Future Reports - http://www.acunu.org/index.html

§ EU Framework Program (FP7) details - http://cordis.europa.eu/en/home.html

§ JRC-IPTS – EU Joint Research Centre – Institute for Prospective Technological Studies - http://www.jrc.es/home/pages/actions.htm

§ The James Martin 21^st Century School, University of Oxford http://www.jamesmartin.com/

§ Technopolis - http://www.technopolis-group.com/

§ PREST - http://www.mbs.ac.uk/research/engineeringpolicy/index.aspx

§ SPRU - http://www.sussex.ac.uk/spru/

§ George Washington University forecasts - http://www.gwforecast.gwu.edu

§ Challenge Network - http://www.chforum.org/

• Information about significant reports and books from around the world – LINKS
• Training courses and conferences addressing key future challenges - LINKS

ASTEC

Over the period 1976-1998, the Australian Science, Technology and Engineering Council (ASTEC) provided advice on a very wide range of issues with a science, technology and engineering component to the Prime minister.

The output of ASTEC was widely regarded, in Australia and overseas, as of the highest quality at the time, and in many cases proved to be quite influential. In retrospect, many of the reports were highly prescient, and still relevant to issues being grappled with today. For example, 'LongTerm Strategies for Science and Technology in Australia' (1996), 'Energy Research and Technology' (1994), 'Gene Technology' (1993), 'Research and Technology in Tropical Australia'(1993), 'Science, Technology in Australian Federalism' (1991), 'Assessment of the Impacts of Climate Change' (1991), 'Networked Nation' (1994), and 'The Demand and supply of Scientists and Engineers' (1991).

ASTEC reports are no longer readily accessible. As a service to Australian decision makers, researchers and the community, we are making this body of work available for the period 1990-1998 available via the ASTEC Archive.