HSE hosted a training event for technology foresight experts

The federal law ”On Strategic Planning in the RF” became effective in July, and technology foresight in the country is moving up to a new, more systemic level. Exactly how this work should be undertaken? The NRU HSE ISSEK’s Foresight Centre launches a series of training events for experts in this field, the first of which was devoted to “Organising and conducting expert discussions and expert polling for industry-specific technology foresight studies”.

Alexander Sokolov

Alexander Sokolov, deputy director of the NRU HSE’s Institute for Statistical Studies and Economics of Knowledge and director of the Foresight Centre, noted that one of the documents outlining the contours of the strategic planning system at the federal and industrial levels was Russian S&T Foresight. Note also that the Russian S&T Foresight 2030 commissioned to the Higher School of Economics by the RF Ministry of Education and Science, was approved by the RF prime minister in January, 2014.

Also, major work is about to begin on updating the list of priority development areas and critical technologies. A wide network of experts representing all areas of science and leading research institutions from various industries will take part, while the HSE will be responsible for coordination.

More than two thousand Russian and international experts participated in the development of the Russian S&T Foresight 2030; industrial foresight centres (IFC) were established at leading Russian universities in six priority development areas: efficient environment management, information and telecommunication systems, transport and space systems, nanosystems, energy saving and energy efficiency, and life sciences. Launching new technology foresight projects will inevitably lead to further growth of the national expert community.

Five training events on foresight techniques and tools are planned for participants of these expert-based activities, to be delivered in July-September by staff members of the HSE ISSEK’s International Foresight Centre (which also has the status of Regional UNIDO Technology Foresight Centre for Russia and CIS).

According to Alexander Sokolov, more than 60 representatives of leading research institutions, of various status and from various Russian regions, came for the first training event. Organisations which have sent their staff to the event included the Kurchatov Institute; Academician M.F. Reshetnev Information Satellite Systems, JSC.; Innovation Development Centre (Russian Railways division); various institutes of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Institute of Chemical Physics, Institute of Energy Research, Institute of Petrochemical Synthesis, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry), research universities (Moscow Aviation Institute, National Research Nuclear University “MEPhI”, National Research University of Information Technologies, Mechanics and Optics); technology platforms (BioTech2030, Deep Processing of Hydrocarbons, Environmental Development Technologies, etc.)

Director of the Foresight Centre Alexander Sokolov spoke about the objectives and methodology of S&T foresight, and best international and Russian practices. Mikhail Bokov, senior researcher at the ISSEK, shared his experience of organising expert-based procedures, sociological polling, and working with research community.

At the end of the training event the participants were given “homework”: a questionnaire to be filled in and then used as a basis for a more detailed survey in each expert’s specific field. At the next training event which is planned for August, the homework will be reviewed. Upon completion of the full training course the participants will receive special HSE certificates.

By Anastasia Chumak, HSE web portal news service

Photographs by Mikhail Dmitriev