The establishment of the APEC Center for Technology Foresight is an indication of the importance of foresight activities in helping economies to shape their future. Since technology foresight is an ongoing collaborative process, the main objective of the APEC Technology Foresight Network (ATFN) is to electronically link APEC members who are engaged in some form of technology foresight projects or activities. A secondary objective is to link non-APEC economies across the world, which are involved in technology foresight. The ATFN aims to provide integrated and accessible pathways to technology foresight experts, to information related to technology foresight and to the results of foresight activities. Current APEC participants in the APEC Technology Foresight Center are to be considered as the founding members of the ATFN. Canada, through the resources and tools developed by the National Research Council's Canadian Technology Network (CTN) and the Canada Institute for Scientific and Technical Information (CISTI), proposes to contribute its infrastructure to help create the ATFN.
Technology and science are key drivers of knowledge-based societies. The establishment of the APEC Centre for Technology Foresight demonstrates the importance of foresight activities in helping economies shape their future.
As technology foresight is an ongoing collaborative process, it would be appropriate for the Centre to create a Technology Foresight Network that groups together APEC member who are already engaged in some form of technology foresight projects or activities.
The purpose of the network is to provide integrated accessible pathways to experts, information related to technology foresight and provide an efficient way to diffuse the results of foresight activities.
Current APEC members are to be considered as the founding members of the APEC Technology Foresight Network (ATFN). As members, they are committed to the following:
To facilitate communication among the members, it is proposed that an extranet site be built for use by members and their contacts. Initially, the password access controlled site will have the following features:
The APEC Centre for Technology Foresight is primarily supported by the Royal Thai Government.
Canada, through the resources and tools developed by the National Research Council's Canadian Technology Network ( Annex A) contains a description of the Network) and Canada's Institute for Scientific and Technical Information (CISTI), proposes to contribute its infrastructure to create ATFN (to be known as the APEC Technology Forecasting Network) to support the APEC Centre for Technology Foresight's mandate to foster communication between APEC members and to diffuse the information amongst members.
Resources requirements for establishing and maintaining the APEC TFN are outlined in the following table.
| Resources: people and time | Phase 1- Develop a TFN prototype [2-3 months] |
Phase 2- Implement TFN for APEC members [12 months] 1 |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NRC In-Kind |
New Funds 2 |
NRC In-Kind |
New Funds 3 |
|
Project Co-ordination
|
20,000 | 40,000 | 20,000 | 40,000 |
System Development
|
5,000 | 10,000 | 20,000 | 45,000 |
| Facilities, equipment, site licensing and services | 10,000 | 50,000 | ||
| Promotion, training, quality Control, etc. | 5,000 | 20,000 | ||
| Total | $C40,000 | $C50,000 | $C40,000 | $C155,000 |
The Canadian Technology Network links federal and provincial government labs and agencies, universities, community colleges, industry associations, technology centres and economic development agencies. Together these organizations provide innovative Canadian companies with quick and personal access to expertise, advice and information about how to meet technology and related business challenges.
MISSION - to provide integrated, accessible pathways to information and services relevant to small- and mediums-sized enterprises using technology.
The Canadian Technology Network can give you access to a wide range of technology and related business assistance through a cross-country network of organizations and advisors. Each advisor is employed by an organization known for its technology or related business competence. These advisors are linked together to optimize the identification and referral to delivery of the right advice or expertise to meet interactive business needs.
A CTN Advisory Member is the first point of contact for CTN clients. Each Advisory Member provides a Network Advisor who is prepared to work with you to identify your needs and help find solutions to technology and related business challenges. The Network Advisor acts as a pathfinder, defining needs and identifying potential sources of assistance both from the network of CTN Affiliate Members and elsewhere.
A CTN Affiliate Member is an organization which offers services in specific areas of expertise in technology and related business services. As appropriate, Affiliate Members may negotiate a fee for their services directly with their client.