Refining the debate on GM crops using technological foresight—the Danish experience

Rapid developments in and the controversial nature of biotechnology call for communication, networks, partnerships, and collaboration in research, not just among researchers, but also between researchers and research “users” in industry, government, and elsewhere. Technological foresight appears to offer a coordinating method for developing and strengthening those linkages. To test this, a technological foresight study was performed on genetically modified (GM) crop technology in the Danish context. The background of the study was the conflict and intense debate in Denmark over applications of gene technology, especially over the deliberate release of genetically modified (GM) crops. However, the current debate characteristically involves sharply opposed fronts, lacking willingness and courage to engage in a free-flowing and open-minded debate on both rational and normative components of biosafety. In it, stakeholders and experts on both side of the conflict advocate widely differing opinions. Without a proper generally intelligible dialogue, the broader public audience finds it hard to comprehend this type of debate. The study pursues the notion that public dialogue can act as a driver of future applications in the technological domain, specifically GM crops. The study concluded with a stakeholder workshop that revealed three key issues that might provide helpful starting points for a more free-flowing and open-minded debate about the future of GM crops. The issues were those arising from the following statements: a broad perspective on risk is crucial; international regulation must make allowance for developing countries; a better configuration of the risk debate is needed. These issues are discussed in more details in the article.     

基于SCM的农业产业链上联盟伙伴的选择

围绕核心企业，通过对信息流、物流、资金流的控制．从采购原材料开始，将供应商、制造商、分销商、零售商直至最终用户连成一个整体的功能网链结构模式SCM，是传统管理模式的一场革命。本文试图将SCM哲理引入到农业产业链中，在讨论SCM与农业产业链之间内在联系的基础上，构建基于SCM的多链、网状农业产业链框架体系，然后借助于模糊技术综合评判方法，讨论农业产业链上节点联盟伙伴的选择，从而实现农业产业链体系的优化和各联盟企业的利益共享与多赢。     

中小企业技术创新

21世纪是知识经济时代，企业要想保持长久的生命力，必须不断的进行技术创新。中小企业作为我国经济的一个组成部分，在国民经济的发展过程中起着重要作用。但随着中国加入WTO，中小企业面临着日益严峻而复杂的竞争局面，由于缺乏技术创新实力和潜力，使中小企业削弱了竞争力。就中小企业技术创新存在的问题进行分析，并提出解决的对策。     

论图书馆数字信息资源建设

我国图书馆数字信息资源建设还存在着宏观上缺乏协调机制和规范，资金投入缺乏制度保障，特色数字信息资源的构建力度不够，数字信息资源的建设缺乏实用性，人员素质偏低等问题。相应的解决对策是加强图书馆数字信息资源建设的宏观协调和规范管理，完善政府相关政策加大资金投入，进一步优化文献信息资源结构，形成特色数字信息资源，根据用户需求构建数字信息资源，以增强实用性，提高图书馆员信息素质，为数字信息资源建设提供能力保障。     

企业创新研究中技术、制度与管理的关系探析

已有的企业创新研究对作为其组成部分的技术创新、制度创新或管理创新进行了分门别类的深入研究,这种研究的差异,反映了研究者对技术、制度和管理之间关系认识上的不同.从技术、制度与管理三者间的关系角度来看,企业只有整合制度的、技术的以及管理的各方面资源,才能保证最大限度地开展创新活动.     

在华合资企业的“独资化”趋势解析

近年来,“独资化”已成为跨国公司在中国投资的一种新趋势。外资独资化的四个原因是:即追求更高利润、市场竞争加剧、加强技术控制以及政策环境松动,最后对如何应对“独资化”提出若干建议。     

Literacy,technology and ‘technological literacy’

The shortcomings of the technological literacy metaphor are reviewed. The lack of an agreed meaning for this concept reflects a widespread perplexity about how the study of technology should be incorporated into general education. The paper considers how the study of literature and history might contribute to an understanding of technology and posits a framework which permits the study of the made world to be incorporated within a humanistic educational scheme. It is suggested that the historical study of technologies of literacy could play a significant role in curricular integration.Based on a Plenary Address to the second Domains of Literacy Conference:Literacies for a Productive Future Institute of Education London 1/9/94Michael Barnett has been, since 1992, Professor of Technology and Education at the Institute of Education in London University. Prior to that he was Reader in Physics at Imperial College London. His main scholarly activities are concerned with the history, philosophy and sociology of technology and their bearing on educational practice. He has established an MA programme in Technology and Education which reflects these concerns.     

The relationship between technology and science: Some historical and philosophical reflections. Part I

This essay offers a detailed review of the literature on the relationship between technology and science. It is in two parts. Part I begins by describing science and technology, and the differences between them. It then discusses the commonly-held technology-as-applied-science (TAS) view; the origins of this view, the support for it, and the strong historical and philosophical challenges to it, beginning more than half a century ago, are explored. The development of the steam engine is then offered as a brief case study to illustrate that science-technology relations are more complex than implied by the TAS view. Part I concludes with a consideration of ontological arguments supporting the reverse view, namely that technology is often a necessary precursor to science.Part II, to be published in a following issue, explores some of the consequences of the TAS view. One consequence is that it has generated a story-line in which scientific ideas are emphasised and other factors necessary for technological innovation have been down-played. Another consequence is that, even in cases where technology does apply scientific knowledge, the process of application is often considered obvious; the difficulties of translating ideas into artefacts may not be appreciated. The essay argues for the telling of a more complex story of science-technology relations, one which recognises their historical independence in the past, and their mutual, two-way interaction in many modern fields of endeavour. It concludes with a consideration of some economic and educational implications.     

Tradeable permits,missing markets,and technology

This paper examines the effects of missing markets, heterogeneous pollutants, and the pollution technology of firms on the efficacy of transferable pollution permits. Under the assumption of perfect competition in all markets, we show that if firms can substitute among pollutants, then setting the optimal number of permits for only one pollutant will not, in general, lead to an efficient outcome. The degree of the inefficiency will depend on the information set available to the regulator and the substitutability among pollutants by firms. When establishing transferable pollution rights regulators should, therefore, consider the technology of firms. If firms discharge pollutants in the same fixed proportions, then the regulator need only set a market for one of the pollutants to ensure an efficient outcome. Where firms can substitute among pollutants, however, establishing a market for only one pollutant provides an incentive for firms to substitute to unregulated ones. This is an important policy issue as substitutability among pollutants within and across production processes may dampen the dynamic advantages of a tradeable permit policy.     

Transfer sciences: management of distributed knowledge production

This paper is concerned to develop the notion of transfer science to take account of what is perceived to be the emergence of a new mode of knowledge production. The new mode which is characterised by the production of knowledge in the context of application, by transdisciplinarity, by homogeneity and organisational diversity, by enhanced social accountability and reflexivity, and by new forms of quality control. The thrust of the new mode of knowledge production is to call into question conventional notions of knowledge transfer and focuses instead on the organisational and managerial implications of the emergence of a socially distributed knowledge production system. The paper concludes with a brief discussion of the policy implications of the emergence of the new mode of production. Needed in the new mode are science and technology policies which promote institutional permeability and policies which enable governments, acting through their civil service to act as brokers in the new knowledge production process. Such brokerage is necessary to enhance permeability between institutions within a particular country but also to increase co-operation and collaboration between institutions across countries.