The European Union has a Common Transport Policy. Among other measures, the stimulation of technological innovations can be used to realise policy goals. In the fourth framework programme the FANTASIE project works on the development of a methodology to survey and assess technological innovations in a European framework. The acronym stands for `Forecasting and Assessment of New Technologies And transport Systems and their Impact on the Environment'. The survey and assessment of technology has a close link with the technology policy process. This requires interaction between policymakers and technology assessment researchers. National differences in policy culture and technology assessment make it necessary to develop, apart form national approaches, also a European methodology for technology assessment. A preliminary survey has resulted in a large list of technological innovations in road, rail, sea, air and intermodal transport. The assessment of these innovations is done at the level of transport concepts with help of scenarios for the future. (A)
Abstract