Technology assessment and decision making under scientific uncertainty - lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic: EPTA Report 2021

TY - BOOK

T1 - Technology assessment and decision making under scientific uncertainty - lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic

T2 - EPTA Report 2021

AU - van Baalen, Sophie

AU - Edelenbosch, Rosanne

AU - Willems, Yayouk

AU - Verhoef, Petra

PY - 2021/11/9

Y1 - 2021/11/9

N2 - During the past 1,5 years in which we dealt with the COVID-19 pandemic, politicians had to make decisions under enormous pressure. They had to decide, for example, whether to deploy apps and how to involve people in the vaccination strategy in the best possible way. During all this, they were faced with scientific uncertainty and all kinds of dependencies. They took measures that have had far-reaching consequences for citizens. Science, technology and innovation (STI) have played a crucial in this crisis. How did governments in different countries respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, and how did they use STI to combat the crisis? What are the urgent issues that need to be dealt with in a post-COVID world?Organisations connected to the European Parliamentary Technology Assessment network (EPTA) have addressed these questions. The network is a partnership of technology assessment organisations located in 21, mostly European, countries, and the EU. In this report, they describe and analyse past developments related to the COVID-19 crisis. Moreover, they look ahead and point to the topics that societies worldwide need to discuss in order to be well-prepared for future pandemics and crises.

AB - During the past 1,5 years in which we dealt with the COVID-19 pandemic, politicians had to make decisions under enormous pressure. They had to decide, for example, whether to deploy apps and how to involve people in the vaccination strategy in the best possible way. During all this, they were faced with scientific uncertainty and all kinds of dependencies. They took measures that have had far-reaching consequences for citizens. Science, technology and innovation (STI) have played a crucial in this crisis. How did governments in different countries respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, and how did they use STI to combat the crisis? What are the urgent issues that need to be dealt with in a post-COVID world?Organisations connected to the European Parliamentary Technology Assessment network (EPTA) have addressed these questions. The network is a partnership of technology assessment organisations located in 21, mostly European, countries, and the EU. In this report, they describe and analyse past developments related to the COVID-19 crisis. Moreover, they look ahead and point to the topics that societies worldwide need to discuss in order to be well-prepared for future pandemics and crises.

KW - Technology Assessment

KW - COVID-19

KW - Parliamentary advice

M3 - Report

BT - Technology assessment and decision making under scientific uncertainty - lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic

PB - Rathenau Instituut

CY - The Hague

ER -