TA-SWISS, Center for Technology Assessment

TA-SWISS makes great efforts to address fields of technology and their application which are considered by public opinion to be controversial. In particular, TA-SWISS looks into the three subject areas "Life Sciences & Health", "Nanotechnology" and "Information Society". Questions on the impact of a technology on the environment, business, politics, human health etc. are taken up just as are those questions on the ethical implications of technical change.

The TA-SWISS publications and events are directed not only towards decision-makers in politics, science, business and administration but also towards the general public as a whole. Then, basically, unbiased and well-balanced information presented in this way should contribute at an early stage to putting the people and institutions who play a decisive role into the picture on the possible effects to be expected of a new technical development - and on which consequences are to be expected when this technology is not used.

Mandate

In 1991, the Federal Council and Parliament decided that the Swiss Science Council should create a Swiss model for the assessment of the consequences of technology (TA, Technology Assessment). In 1996, the TA-Programme was able to start work on its second four-year work-period. In government plans for the promotion of education, research and technology for the years 2000 - 2003, the mandate of TA-SWISS and its institutional integration are described as follows:

"The continuation of technology assessment should - with an improved organisation - be assured for the next promotion period. We suggest (...) that TA be institutionalized and become an independent unit answering to the Swiss Science and Technology Council. The TA-Programme will have the job of fulfilling the following tasks:

• Provide not only the general public and parliament but also the researchers themselves with decision aids for the assessment of the effects of scientific research and technological development (TA studies);
• Accompany research promoted by the Confederation from the TA point of view;
• Ensure objectivity in the socio-political discussion on the positive and negative effects of scientific research and technological developments - and also on their omission - even in the pre-political stage;
• Take over the role of a contact point and clearing-house for related and similar institutions at home or abroad."

Over the period 2004–2007 TA-SWISS plans to carry on its work, continually rounding off its programme by putting together recommendations and “good practices”.
Source: Statement on the Promotion of Education, Research and Technology, 2004–2007

Since the 1st January 2008, TA-SWISS is a Center of Competence of The Swiss Academies of Arts and Sciences.

Activities since 2004:

• Pharmacogenomics
• PubliForum on the research on the human being
• PubliTalk on the cancer research
• Telemedicine
• Public Reactions to Nanotechnology in Switzerland
• publifocus "eHealth and the electronic patient file"
• study "Emancipation of the computer"
• study "Anti-Aging Medicine: Myths and Chances"
• study "Indicator-based decision-making systems"

Active Projects:

• Energy from the earth's interior: Deep geothermal energy as the energy source of
• Nanomaterials: Effects on Environment and Health
• Parliaments and Civil Society in Technology Assessment PACITA
• Personalised Medicine
• Robotics and autonomous devices in the social sector
• SurPrise
• Synthetic Biology in Society: A new technology under public discussion

Planned Projects:

Address

Director: Dr. Sergio Bellucci

TA-SWISS
Center for Technology Assessment
Brunngasse 36
CH-3011 Berne

Tel: +41-31-310 99 60
Fax: +41-31-310 99 61

E-Mail:
mailto:sergio.bellucci@ta-swiss.ch
mailto:info@ta-swiss.ch

Homepage: http://www.ta-swiss.ch/