eForesee in Malta

The Malta Council for Science and Technology (MCST) has launched eForesee on the 1st of January 2002, in an effort to introducing a more systematic, long-term and participative approach to policy-making in the area of research, technological development and innovation. This project is receiving funds from the Fifth Framework Programme under the "Improving Human Potential and the Socio-Economic Knowledge Base" programme/STRATA. You can always request prime essay reviews at https://www.reviews.io/company-reviews/store/prime-essay-net if you wish additional help.

eForesee stands for Exchange of Foresight Relevant Experiences for Small European and Enlargement Countries. The partners of this project are Malta, Cyprus and Estonia, together with Dr Patrick Crehan from Crehan, Kusano & Associates sprl, Belgium, who will be acting as the coordinator.

February 2002, Malta - The Hon. Jesmond Mugliett opening the eForesee Kick-Off Meeting, on his left Dr Gunter Clar, representative from the EU Commission, and Dr Patrick Crehan the coordinator of the eForesee Project together with the Partners from Malta, Cyprus and Estonia

A Kick-Off Meeting was held in Malta on the 11-12 February 2002, at the SAS Radisson, St Julians. The meeting was opened by the Honourable Jesmond Mugliett, Parliamentary Secretary responsible for Science and Technology. Dr Gunter Clar from the EU Commission was present together with all the partners and coordinator. The goals and expectations of each partner in the project was the main focus of this event.

eForesee is a two-year project aimed at anticipating and responding to the needs of policy makers, involved in the formulation and implementation of foresight activities in EU15+ smaller economies and regions. This project will address decision-making processes involved in setting up foresight activities, as well as the challenge of managing and implementing specific foresight actions. It will look at the Knowledge Management needs of foresight and explore the possibility of applying benchmarking techniques to improve the efficiency of foresight over time.

Foresight is a systematic, participatory, future intelligence gathering and medium-to-long-term vision-building process aimed at present day decisions and mobilising joint actions. This type of knowledge is crucial in setting national priorities for allocating resources to research, development and education - in both public and private contexts.

The project will carry out a number of pilot foresight actions in three countries - Malta, Cyprus, and Estonia.

Foresight exercises have been carried out in UK, Ireland, Denmark, Portugal, Japan and various other countries. Ireland, a case in point, decided to invest heavily in fundamental research to support the development of world class research capabilities in niche areas of Information Communication Technology (ICT) and of biotechnology in order to ensure the future development of knowledge-based enterprises. This represents a significant evolution of industrial policy in Ireland.

February 2002, Malta - The Hon. Jesmond Mugliett addressing the eForesee partners during the kickoff meetings

The Malta Technology Foresight Exercise will be carrying out pilots in the fields of ICTs, enabling Biotechnologies, and Marine Sciences. Cyprus' pilot project will focus on Agriculture and Biotechnologies; and Estonia's pilot will focus on ICTs and Biotechnologies.

By June 2002 Malta will launch the first pilot on ICTs mainly in the area of Education, which will run for 6 months. A second and third pilot on enabling Biotechnologies and Marine Sciences will be launched at a later date. At present we are in the process of the preparatory stage for the first pilot project on ICTs. An eForesee Breakfast Meeting was held on the 13th of February 2002, at the SAS Radisson St Julians, in order to brief the local ICT stakeholders and possibly orient the pilot to the local scenario.

For a small candidate country, like Malta, the use of such foresight methodologies, are important at a number of levels:

• Competing in the globalising learning economy
• The Accession challenge - developing cross-sectoral strategies for effective use of structural funds for RTDI and beyond
• Tackling shortfalls in qualified personnel in key sectors
• Pooling of fragmented resources (major cultural challenge).

eForesee will involve the bringing together of local experts on the specific themes, into expert panels. The role of the expert panels will be to moderate the wider consultation process with stake-holders on future developments in particular areas of technology. Alternative scenarios will be explored over long-term time horizons and niche areas identified.

With regards to the first pilot project on ICTs, an eForesee Breakfast Meeting was held on the 13th of February 2002, at the SAS Radisson St Julians, in order to brief the local ICT stakeholders and possibly orient the pilot to the local scenario.

eForesee aims to develop a set of policy recommendations to government and the private sector. But beyond this, eForesee aims to change traditional ways of formulating policy by encouraging greater participation, consultation and networking and thereby broadening the scope of policy.

The Foresight Exercise is designed to generate cross-sectoral networking and coordinated multidisciplinary approaches to policy-making, bringing about more intelligent and innovative policy responses. This initiative will inform and provide a vital input in the development of the National RTDI Programme. This initiative is not designed merely as a one-off activity, but as evolving into iterative, embedded processes with long-term impact. The learning curve generated will be of interest to other small states and regions.

For additional information please visit our website at http://eforesee.info - should you be interested in the project we recommend you register on our mailing list.