Technology policy and governance

Technology policy has always been closely linked to the role of the state and cutting cross different policy fields. Particularly, since the end of WWII technology policy has co-developed and interacted with science and innovation policy. Being initially driven by considerations for defence and national security and later by a focus on economic competitiveness, technology policy has been more recently influenced by the paradigm of transformative policy-making and the question of technology sovereignty. This chapter describes the development of underlying rationales, priorities, as well as instruments and varying governance structures of technology policy. We conclude this chapter with a few observations illustrating the complex and changing relationship between technology assessment and technology policy co-developing. Whereas the need for technology assessment may increase under the paradigm of transformative policy-making, time-pressure in transformative change processes and concerns about a loss of sovereignty may challenge the role of technology assessment just when we need it most.