WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (WIST)
The Government's horizon scanning function, located in the Government Office for Science, provides the strategic context to horizon scanning activity in government departments and elsewhere. It also informs the Government's strategy for public engagement with science to identify at the earliest possible stage areas where potential, safety, health, environmental, ethical, regulatory and social (SHEERS), issues may arise, and advise on how these might be addressed.
To help prepare for the future, the government is sponsoring a coherent and coordinated programme of engagement and dialogue between the public, experts and stakeholders to explore the wider implications of new and emerging areas of science and technology.
This WIST programme comprises an expert and stakeholder appraisal integrated with a public-facing engagement process (www.sciencehorizons.org.uk) to explore the SHEERS issues. A set of shared understandings and perspectives will be developed which will be disseminated broadly across government, and among stakeholders and the wider public.
Further details are contained in the following slides:
Copies of the Slides are available here in Microsoft Power Point.