Activities

Every year The Danish Board of Technology carries out a number of projects of varying dimensions. We launch these projects with a view toward offering an overview. Our aim is to assess new technology.

Prior to setting out on a particular project, the subject is evaluated according to certain parameters:
* Does the subject possess a technological content?
* Is the subject essential to a large number of people - democratically, economically or environmentally?
* Does the subject cause problems? Or conflicts? Is there a need for decision-making?

The subject must be of current interest to the politicians and the citizens. There ought to be an important role for the Board to play, either because nobody else is dealing sufficiently with the subject or because the Board can potentially contribute something quite extraordinary to the solution, especially by virtue of our independent position.
The projects are always based on a method.

The Danish Board of Technology’s collection of topics for the year 2010
- 5 projects have been selected for the coming year’s work schedule

Every year, the Danish Board of Technology calls upon members of Parliament, various authorities, organizations, business enterprises and individuals to come up with suggestions for topics for the coming year’s efforts. Some of these ideas evolve into projects; others are treated in articles in both “Teknologidebat” and our newsletter, “From the Board to the Parliament”.

The Danish Board of Technology’s collection of topics for year 2010 has been decided. We gathered 49 topic suggestions for the Board’s work schedule 2010. The proposals align themselves in certain categories: IT, culture/media, agriculture, environment/energy, health care, traffic, technology policy, etc.

Our secretariat has reviewed all the proposals and has written theme descriptions about them. On this basis, the Board’s directorate selected eight projects with which the secretariat will be working this year.

The Danish Board of Technology would like to take this opportunity to express our gratitude to everybody who sent proposals to us for our consideration. What follows is a list of the four proposals that were chosen.

Projects in The Danish Board of Technology 2010


Selftesting!
Lack of focus on In vitro diagnostic-equipment exists. What potentials does new development of the equipment posses? What could be the consequences for health staff personel, patients as well as for pharmaceutical industry and health policy.

Water supply in Denmark
At the turn of the year the organisation and the way of running the water supply is changed. This change challenges the most vital necessity, the water, for all Danes in securing clean water to the citizens. The challenges are technology, climate adaption, nature- and environment administration.

E-election, a challenge to democracy
Experiences with tests of e-election exists. The subject needs to be gathered and advantages and disadvantages evaluated. E-systems/-technologies have grown more mature, but are they good enough?

Extreme genetechnology
Evaluation of the development within biotechnology as artificial microorganisms, Genetically Engineered Machines, 6-nucleotid-DNA, all in all synthetic biology or ecstreme genetechnology. The project shall create an overview of the debate.

Sustainable transportsystems
What does it take to pull the Danish transportsystem in an sustainable direction?
We can expect a future world with shortage of oil and demands for reducing emission of climate gasses force us to introduce other forms of energy, also in the transport sector. Starting from the limited ressources and enforcing the law rigorously for the sake of environment and health, the project intends to examine the possibilities for the transportsector to change to sustainable energy, and what implications it has to ordinary life and society.

Methods used