BOOK REVIEW: "The Handbook of Technology Foresight: Concepts and Practice", Edited by Luke Georghiou, Jennifer Cassingena Harper, Michael Keenan, Ian Miles, Rafael Popper

Abstract

Technology foresight is one of the important research areas in our field of managing innovation and technology. Georghiou et al. present a marvelous review of methods and applications for developing a technological vision. The book starts with an introduction to the foresight process and a review of available methodologies. The chapter focusing on the methodologies provides a very comprehensive list. A total of 33 different methodologies are described. The methodologies listed are also used for technology assessment and forecasting. For that reason, the book presents a value for many of us who have been studying technology evaluation of for those whose jobs are to evaluate and make decisions on the technological investments. The second part of the book includes foresight application from all around the world. The foresight studies reported in this part include those from United Kingdom, France, Germany, USA, Japan, Nordic countries, as well as smaller and developing countries. The chapters on these applications include the flow of the process used, methodologies employed and the topics discussed in each foresight project. This part would be very valuable for those planning to implement similar foresight projects in their countries and even in their organizations. The methods and the approached can easily be scaled up and down depending on the size of the organization. The third part of the book introduces largely the concepts of managing the foresight project. It starts with a chapter exploring how different projects were influenced by others. The other chapters introduce the planning aspects of such projects as well as how to evaluate the impact of these projects. The final chapter charts the future for the foresight science and applications. I would recommend this book wholeheartedly to all the researchers in the areas of management of technological investments.