Futurewatch
The Ministry's Futurewatch work programme aims to build government’s alertness to new scientific knowledge and technologies and the sort of implications – opportunities and risks – that they present to New Zealand.
Futurewatch can be thought of as a kind of 'radar', a way of systematically scanning the external environment. A key aim is to find things that are new or unusual that may be signposts to important changes on the horizon. Another aspect is thinking about the impacts of new science and technology in a broad way that brings in a range of perspectives, including those outside the science worldview. Futurewatch is a term used by Futures Thinking Aotearoa to describe their future scanning activities.
We aim to stimulate discussion and produce material that supports departments to factor emerging science and technology into their policy work. Sometimes this will include alerts to important research questions, new opportunities for research or considerations of the role of new knowledge, innovation and the RS&T sector in issues of strategic importance to New Zealand. Directing priorities for research is not, however, the main objective of the Futurewatch programme.
Recent work is in the area of biotechnology, where we are implementing recommendations of the Royal Commission on Genetic Modification and the Biotechnology Strategy, both of which called for greater alertness to upcoming developments in science and technology. We have recently extended our work to other areas such as nanotechnologies, eResearch, sustainability and trends in science more generally.
The core of our Futurewatch programme is the Scanning Network. We contract a range of New Zealand researchers to provide us with alerts and insights into developments in their areas of expertise. We share this information with other government agencies through a shared workspace. Summaries of trends and developments are publicly available through a range of Futurewatch publications and presentations.
For further enquiries about this work please contact us.