Foresight for the Enabling Technologies Materials

Europe needs innovations and production on‐site in high‐tech technologies to obtain prosperity. For a sustainable and stable knowledge‐based economy and society it is indispensable to maintain the value‐added chain also for enabling technologies inside an area such as Europe or a specific country. The maintenance of prosperity in Europe requires an innovative and stimulating environment. Creating awareness and support from a wide variety of agencies and institutions with regard to he system for enabling technologies (knowledge creation and production) is a challenge. However foresight methodologies provide approaches which can take into account a broad variety of aspects and experts for dealing with such a challenge. Therefore the Austrian Society for Metallurgy and Materials, the Montanuniversität Leoben, and the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology designed and accomplished a foresight project for developing scenarios for the manufacturing bases in Austria regarding structural materials such as steel, non‐ferrous metals, polymers, and ceramic each regarded together with their composites for high‐tech technologies along the whole value‐chain. The emphasis of this contribution is put on the adaptation of the methodology to this specific problem. Foresight is a systematic view of the longer‐term future of science, technology, business and society to identify areas for strategic research and technology with the greatest economic and social benefits. The process was organized into three stages. At the first stage the frame was defined in details. Essential elements of the first stage were the following. The advisory board with high representatives from universities, industries, and policy makers was defined and organised. The definition of the experts to be invited for workshops and the adaptation of the scenario method was worked out and discussed with the advisory board. At stage two scenarios in each of the four structural material areas (steel, non‐ferrous metal, polymers, ceramic) were developed in several workshops with a strict structured procedure. At stage three a "future conference" discussed the developed scenarios and worked out the topics and actions across all scenarios and lead to three central issues, which were to be pursued in a follow up process. The consortium was optimally composed because of the complementary expertise. The developed procedure managed to involve and reach most of the important people for further support of the thematic outcome.