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Green Technology Foresight about environmentally friendly products and materials

Contents

Preface

Summary and recommendations

• The objectives of the project
• Recommendations integrating future environmental and innovative aspects of ICT-, bio- and nanotechnology
  • A. Environmental governance
  • B. Guiding research and research policy:
  • C. Support for eco-innovation
  • D. Regulating application areas
• Analysis and findings in relation to ICT
• Analysis and findings in relation to biotechnology
• Analysis and findings in relation to nanotechnology

1 Introduction

• 1.1 The focus of the project
• 1.2 The three generic technologies
• 1.3 The objectives of the project
• 1.4 Initiation and funding
• 1.5 Project activities
• 1.6 Overall project results
• 1.7 Introduction to the structure of the report

2 Green technology foresight of generic technologies

• 2.1 Introduction to the methodological and theoretical approach in the project
• 2.2 Analytical approaches employed in the project
• 2.3 Social shaping of technology
  • 2.3.1 Laboratory programmes
• 2.4 Techno-economic networks
• 2.5 Technological trajectory changes
  • 2.5.1 Trajectory change and the product cycle
  • 2.5.2 Different notions of trajectories
  • 2.5.3 Exploitation-exploration- attention and search rules
  • 2.5.4 Applying the technology trajectory approach in technology foresight
• 2.6 Identifying visions and constructing paths of development
• 2.7 Assessment of the environmental aspects within the three technology areas as social and scientific process
  • 2.7.1 Elements of stakeholder involvement and dialogue in environmental assessment
  • 2.7.2 Identification of fields of application and core properties of technologies
• 2.8 Governance and regulation
  • 2.8.1 Typology of government regulation
  • 2.8.2 Different aspects of governance
• 2.9 Summary of foresight approach

3 Environmental aspects of the development and use of ICT

• 3.1 Introduction
  • 3.1.1 Methodology
• 3.2 Overall consideration of Information and Communications Technology
  • 3.2.1 Political and marketing frame-work conditions
  • 3.2.2 ICT as technology area
• 3.3 ICT and the environment
  • 3.3.1 Environmental impact related to ICT-equipment and -infrastructure
  • 3.3.2 European Environmental legislation concerning electronic and electrical equipment
  • 3.3.3 Presentation of the areas of application for detailed analysis
• 3.4 Improving Environmental Knowledge
  • 3.4.1 New sensor systems
  • 3.4.2 Distributed computer capacity
  • 3.4.3 Increased knowledge, awareness and action from environmental data
• 3.5 Design of products and processes
  • 3.5.1 CAD and environmental databases
  • 3.5.2 Topology optimization
  • 3.5.3 Computer Aided Process Engineering
• 3.6 Process regulation and control
  • 3.6.1 Process automation
• 3.7 Intelligent products and applications
  • 3.7.1 Polymer chips and sensors as enabling technology
  • 3.7.2 Cases
• 3.8 Transport, logistics and mobility
  • 3.8.1 Telework
  • 3.8.2 Diffusion of telework
  • 3.8.3 E-business
• 3.9 Transport logistics
• 3.10 Long term perspectives for innovation and regulation

4 Environmental perspectives within biotechnology

• 4.1 Introduction
  • 4.1.1 Environmental perspectives and concerns
• 4.2 The desk study
  • 4.2.1 Sources for the desk study
  • 4.2.2 Biotechnology - environmental focus in the late 1980s
  • 4.2.3 Further development of the focus on processes and products
• 4.3 Danish activities and expectations to biotechnology development and its environmental perspectives
  • 4.3.1 Danish biotechnology activities
• 4.4 Selected biotechnology areas of environmental interest
  • 4.4.1 Enzyme production and application
• 4.5 Environmental assessment of enzyme technology
  • 4.5.1 Fermentation efficiency
  • 4.5.2 Bio-polymers
  • 4.5.3 Bio-ethanol
  • 4.5.4 Biological base-chemicals
  • 4.5.5 Bio-remediation
• 4.6 Discussion and summary statements
  • 4.6.1 Discussion of the environmental perspectives
  • 4.6.2 Discussion of the structural conditions
• 4.7 Policy aspects

5 Nanotechnology development in Denmark - environmental opportunities and risks

• 5.1 Introduction
• 5.2 Nanotechnology - definitions and dynamics
  • 5.2.1 What is nanotechnology?
  • 5.2.2 The nanotechnological development
  • 5.2.3 Explaining path creation in nanotechnology
• 5.3 Nanotechnology - international findings on environmental risks and opportunities
  • 5.3.1 Environmental risks related to nanotechnology
  • 5.3.2 Environmental impacts in the product cycle
  • 5.3.3 Policy initiative on nano environmental risks
  • 5.3.4 Environmental opportunities related to nanotechnology
• 5.4 Danish findings on path creation in nanotechnology
  • 5.4.1 The organisation of the nanotechnological knowledge production in Denmark
  • 5.4.2 The Danish learning relations
  • 5.4.3 Attention rules and entrepreneurial expectations
  • 5.4.4 Attention and perception of environmental issues
  • 5.4.5 Environmental search rules and risks
• 5.5 Danish Nano Eco-innovation potentials
  • 5.5.1 Overall identified eco-potentials
  • 5.5.2 Eco-potential qualification
• 5.6 Environmental assessment - system expansion or system substitution
  • 5.6.1 Cases on nano eco-potentials
• 5.7 Conclusion
  • 5.7.1 Problems to address by policy

6 Policy recommendations: enhancing the focus on environmental and innovative aspects of ICT-, bio- and nanotechnology

• 6.1 Introduction
• 6.2 A framework for policy recommendations
• 6.3 Overview of the findings from the three technology areas
  • 6.3.1 Summary of findings related to ICT
  • 6.3.2 Summary of findings related to biotechnology
  • 6.3.3 Summary of findings related to nanotechnology
  • 6.3.4 The character of the identified environmental potentials and risks
• 6.4 Environmental governance as cross cutting policy measure
• 6.5 Recommendations for related Danish and EU policy initiatives
  • 6.5.1 The Danish government's plan for a strengthening of 'green technology'
  • 6.5.2 The Danish High Technology Foundation
  • 6.5.3 EU's Environmental Technologies Action Plan (ETAP)
• 6.6 Guiding research and research policy to include environmental aspects
  • 6.6.1 Visions as guidance of research policy and research
  • 6.6.2 Applying methods from technology foresight
  • 6.6.3 Environmental screening of research proposals
  • 6.6.4 Environmental assessment as part of research
• 6.7 Integration of environmental aspects in policy support for strategic innovation
  • 6.7.1 ICT
  • 6.7.2 Biotechnology
  • 6.7.3 Nanotechnology
• 6.8 Regulating areas of application in production, trade and consumption
  • 6.8.1 Regulating eco-efficiency and substitution of chemicals
  • 6.8.2 Transport, logistics and mobility
• 6.9 Summarising: Recommendations integrating future environmental and innovative aspects of ICT-, bio- and nanotechnology
  • 6.9.1 Introduction
  • 6.9.2 Environmental governance
  • 6.9.3 Guiding research and research policy:
  • 6.9.4 Support for eco-innovation
  • 6.9.5 Regulating application areas

7 References

• 7.1 Chapter 1-2
• 7.2 Chapter 3 (ICT)
  • 7.2.1 Workshop
  • 7.2.2 Interviews
• 7.3 Chapter 4 (Bio)
  • 7.3.1 Interviews
• 7.4 Chapter 5 (Nano)
  • 7.4.1 Interviews
• 7.5 Chapter 6 (Policy recommendations)

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Version 1.0 September 2006, © Danish Environmental Protection Agency