Analysis of the Dutch Sustainable Technology Development Programme

In order to make sustainability tangible, challenging changes in research and development policy are necessary. On demand of the German Parliament's Bureau on Technology Assessment, ISOE has investigated the Sustainable Technology Development (STD) programme financed by the Government of the Netherlands. The Dutch five-year programme of research and 'learning-by-doing' based on setting up new innovation networks and working with new methods to search for sustainable technological solutions, such as backcasting: Taking a sustainable future vision as a starting point, STD demonstrated what steps should taken today for new technologies and systems to be in place in time. Despite neglecting important socio-cultural processes as well as a sufficient participation of societal stake holders in the illustrating processes which are leading to a shaping of technology, the results of the STD programme are impressive. The programme has come up with a method which can be used to develop more sustainable innovations and prepare long time orientation in technological and socio-technological development. German RDT policy has the opportunity to learn from the STD programme. Based on the Netherland's experiences and emphasizing the social and institutional aspects, it is likely that sustainable RDT processes can be initiated by German policy.

• Imprint
• I
• Webmaster