The Institute of Technology Assessment (ITA) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (OEAW) will continue to provide Parliament with expertise from foresight and technology assessment. At a press conference in the recently reopened Parliament building, National Council President Wolfgang Sobotka, the Chairman of the Committee on Research, Innovation and Digitisation Christian Hafenecker (FPÖ), the Director of the Institute of Technology Assessment Michael Nentwich and Parliamentary Director Harald Dossi presented the scientists' support and contributions for legislation.
National Council President Sobotka underlined the desire of all parliamentary groups to continue the project. He said that it showed that the members of parliament put their faith in evidence-based consultation.
For Michael Nentwich it was a "joyful day": "The fact that the Austrian Parliament has decided to perpetuate scientific advice on technology assessment issues is very good news. All the more so because today science and its findings are often called into question. It is reassuring and gratifying that Parliament is backing evidence-based policy. Today is therefore a good day for scientific policy advice, for Austrian politics, for Austria."
OEAW President Heinz Faßmann offered greetings: "Whether climate, migration, energy, or artificial intelligence - our MPs are faced with many legal decisions. Scientific knowledge is of great importance in this context. The Institute of Technology Assessment of the Austrian Academy of Sciences can provide information, explanations and background knowledge for selected factual issues in each case and thus support the members of the National Council in their often also difficult work in the best possible scientific way."
Short studies and international networking as focal points
Among the new services that his institute will offer the Parliament in future, Nentwich listed international comparative analyses and "very short studies" that can be commissioned by MPs for quick, well-founded decision-making within a short period of time.
Research Committee Chairman Hafenecker emphasised: "This scientific tool will enable politicians to make even more well-founded decisions with regard to technical developments and their social impact. Be it in the legislative process or in the handling of tax money". With the help of the expertise from the Institute of Technology Assessment, policymakers have the "state of the art knowledge" in dealing with current challenges. He therefore wanted to give the ITA reports even more space in the meetings of his committee.
Scientific know-how for evidence-based policy-making
The institutionalisation of scientific advice in research, technology and innovation policy in Parliament aims to provide all parliamentarians with external scientific support in these areas. Since 2017, the Institute of Technology Assessment (ITA) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW) has provided semi-annual reports on relevant scientific and technological as well as related societal developments.
The first monitoring report within the new framework contract will be published in May 2023. A more attractive presentation on the Parliament's web portal features improved filter and search options. The advisory board for foresight and technology assessment in parliament - consisting of the parliamentary director and one member of each parliamentary club - or committees (parliamentary group chairpersons) can also issue their own study assignments by consensus. Complex technological and societal challenges such as climate change, demographic change or resource scarcity are dealt with.
In addition to the biannual monitoring, four studies have been commissioned so far: Intermediate Storage of the Future for Electric Energy (2019), 5G Mobile Communications and Health (2020), Cybersecurity: Systematisation, State of Research and Innovation Potentials (2021) and Secure Power Supply and Blackout Prevention in Austria (2022), all of which are available in German only.
All topics from the previous monitoring as well as the commissioned studies are available on the parliamentary website (Language: German)
ITA project page: Monitoring for the Austrian Parliament
"ITA-ÖAW erhält Zuschlag für Foresight und Technikfolgenabschätzung für das Parlament" - Parliamentary Correspondence, 19.01.2023
