Abstract
Technology trends of future significance cannot be reliably forecast. However, newly developed methods for detecting the technical opportunities of scientific research at an early stage create a rational information basis. The underlying principle is systematically collected data on the current situation regarding technological competition at an international level, the state of the art in sectors with a promising future ("technometrics"), industrial research and development expenditures and patent activities at both home and abroad. A synopsis of the various types of indicators generated from the data provides a consolidated and reliable picture of the innovation dynamics in industrialized countries, which can be put to use in terms of both individual enterprises or research institutions and the national economy.