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The z "' EDITED BY THE INSTITUTE FOR PROSPECTIVE TECHNOLOGICAL STUDIES (IPTS) AND ISSUED IN COOPERATION WITH THE EUROPEAN S&T OBSERVATORY NETWORK Internet: The Academic Network Revisited r)1 Global Climate Change: Potential Impact on J ...:..J Human Health r; ( The Importance of Interdisciplinary 11 Smart is beautiful ')\) Approaches: The Case of Nanotechnology '){\ Technology deficits and sustainable ~jJ l) development in Less Favoured .... Regions of the EU -> • * • " . >< EUROPEAN COMMISSION • * .. Jo1nt Research Centre . UJ . " . UJ C) The IPTS Report N o '1 3 A P r I I 1 9 9 7 ABOUT TH IPTS REPORT he lf'TS Ripw1. lmmcfwd 111 !Ject>mher !995 011 the req1test and 1111der the awp/(e., ol the CrmlmlSSlOilerfor Sczenct', Re,wtrch mu! De!'elopnlent. Ed1th Crt>SS0/1, has 1/0II' completed 1ts pzlot phase \r1){{f seemed lzl.?e a dmolflllf!, challe11,r.W 111 late 1905. appt>{//"S 11011' 111 retrospect {/S a cruual gd!m111ser ofthe IPTS e11e1;!.!,1es mzd ,,/.?!lis 771e R£pm1 has puhlzshed m1tcles 111 {/ numher of are{/S, knjJIIlf!, a mztgh halm1ce among them mzd e.\{JI()[flllf!, lllterdlsCiplulantr {/S much m· possz/Jie Arttcles an' deemed prosjx'tfll'el)' rt>lel'allf I{ the)' e.\plore 1ssun ll'lnch are e1ther 1wt yet 0/1 the pulzcrnlal.?er~o; agenda I hut dut> to he there som1er or later!. or (/.,jwLfs oj't.,:\'ltes zrh1ch although 011 the age/1{/a thetr 1mpu11m1ce has 1101 ht>ell jullr appreczated 77)[' thomugh dmji111g m1d redraftmf!, pmce.':'. hased 011 cmlfllli/UIIS 11/(t>mcfll'e crmsultat1m1 ll'lih our culla/)()ntflllg ll<'fll'orl.? ol mstlflttes. ll'lnch 11'111 pm,f!,re.,:o;u•elr hecmne e1·e11 more llll'Uii'£YI 111 tbe pmcess. g1Wnt11ten CflWiztr cm1tml 17>e ji1-st. and poss1hlr most .\lgJnjicmll. md1wtor r!l SI I< CL'.'S IS that the &pmt IS ht>mg read [,sue 00 I nect>mher ]()()'))-of 11'h1ch .!1!1!0 cop1es ll't're pnnted 111 ll'hat seemed to he m1 optumst1c pruwctwn at the tnne- h{IS hecome (/collector\· 1tem S111u' tbt>n nrculatwn has nsenlo 61!00 Re,tuests jiJI' suhscnptwns ha!'e wme nut on/J'.fmm all m·cr Hurope hut alsuji·om the CS. Japan. Austm/{{1. La/111 Amenca. ,\' A(l1u1. etc 77Je puslfll'<' colllllh'llls our <://iH1s hare recel/'ed hm·e heel/ lnghiJ• grat1/i'111g m1d the crmstmctll'<' m1d ell/!,{1,(!.111,!.!, cnfiCI.,m ul uur re{i{/t>rslnp has .fimned pm1 of' the Oll,f.!.Olll,f.!. pmcess of 1111prm•eJitellf 77w connne11ts 11'<' hm•e rece/l'ed mll,f!,e jmm the mjimnal. .formal cummuniUlfiOIIS 1111 paper or electmmc {orm !. {{//{/take 111 as u•ell (/Sa Reader Sun•er conmwsw1wd h)' !PTS Readers· d1rect engagezne11t ll'lih the cm1tent ol the n1)()11 s m11cles bas led us tu lllclllde a Letten·-to-the Edltur sectwn. 11-h1cb started 111 the {1111e ISSII£' 77Je nsmg esteem 11111'inch the pu!JIIcatum l'i held IS t1lso maRIIl,f.!. IIIIICIWISlllfil)'{l/tntctll'efur{ll/fhorsji·om oufs{{/e the CIJIIIIIIIS,·Iml \\'e h{tl'e alreadr puh!tshed cuntnhutlol/s h)' authors jimn such rel/011'1/ed 11/Sfltutums ,,uch as the T:\D 111 J!ollmzd. the 1 DJ 111 Gem1mzy. the E\'rA 111 !tal)'. the Co1111ul o{Stmh~f!,IC mu/ liltt>nwtlmlal Sf/1{/tes 111 the l :~'. ctc 1he Report zs produced SlllllllttillmltSI)' 111jiJ11r lm1gzwges I h'ng!tsh, French. German m1d Spa111sh!. h1· !VI'S. tu these Oil<' w1tld {{{/d the ft{{/z{l/1 tmnslatum mlumeered h)' h\'r;,4 lye! mwther Slfill of' the Repmt:,- 1/lOWISIIIg l'l.mnlzt)') 77)(' /(/(f that 1t IS not onlr {/lwlah!e 111 sez·erallmlgiW,f!,es. hut also lctrgelrprepared and produced 011 the b1ten1et s \\"urld \1"{{/t> \1'('/J. mal<es 11 q1111e a1z 1/IICOIIIIIUJ/1 111Zdel1tilmzJ!, lrt' u·1ll crmt111Ue tu slz7l'e tu meet the expectatwns of our l'el)' du•ez-se readenh1p. to al'md tbe tmps t!/ m•erswzplzjicatWil, ei/C)'dop(/edlc n'l'tell'' or the IIWCCt'SSiin/zt)' o{autdemiCfOIInlals The !.?e)' IS to remmd hoth rJ/Irsell'es mu! our readers. that ll'e unnwt he all th111gs tu all peoplt> that If IS imp()}1mzl to cm<·e ullf our 111che and ke£jJ m1 e.\plonng m1d e.\plmt111g 11. hop111g tu 1llummate tup1cs 1111der a 1/ell'. n'l'ealmg hght. jor the henejit o{the readers, to pr£pare them to 111mwge the challenges ahead • • • • • n IPTS - JRC - Seville, 1997 N o 1 3 A p r I I 1 9 9 7 The IPTS Report Pre.fa c e he l!z,•titute f;w Pro.•pectiFe Teclmo/,~qL~·al Studie.~ (IPTS) play,, a central role in TedtaM1:1hin.tJ techno/,~qy watch at a European lel'el. Nel'ert/.Je/e,l,,, at tl.>e lawzcl.> 4 T/.Jc IPTS Report (Decemher 1995) !underlined tf.,e need j;w a .•upport .•tructure, ,z,, em•L;'a.tJed hy the Council Dm:•L~>n o/ 15 Decem her 199-1. The European Science and Tec/.Jno/,~qy Oh,•erFatory (ESTO) network wa,, f;wmally COI!dtituted a,, one o/ the pi/la'~' o/ t/.Je IPTS' techno/,~qy watch actiFitie,• in January 4 t/.Ji, ESTO i• a network o/.f;>urtem European '"!JanL'.zatL~m,•, all with e.\'fNrience in the .fl'eld 4 codify inf;wmatL~IIl relatin.tJ to ,1cientifli: e1•mt,, and del'clopment,• with a I'L'ew to alertin.tJ drawnfl·om all til'fl' tf.,e world, and the network;, !woad predmce allll /inl.:a.'le,, make.• it po,,,,Lf,fe }w it to do ,10. quality of' T/.Je I PTS Report to !>e raiwl, whil.•t drawin.tJ on a yet wider re.•ow o{thj{~rmt area,, of e.l'perti•e. It al.•o contrihute,, directly to the dra/tinp o/ the annual report on European techno-emnom1i· intelli!lence. T/.Je .•yno!Ji•m re.•ultinp f/·om worl.:inp in a network al.•o permit.• the .tJeneration o/ report,1 on the techno!t~tJLi·al chal/mpe.• f;zcin.tJ the lllll~lll today and tho,•e it wi/!_t;zce tomorrow. ESTO /.:erne/ to part1i·ipate in network actiFitL'e,• on t/.Je f,,z,,[., o/ partne'~'hLf' a.qreement.• . .tJuidance to the chfr'erent phtz.•e,l of the ta,1/.:,1 undertaken. It .tJil'e,, a European 1hinol.IL~III to the .f['nal prodw·t, help.• identify the principal SIT e1•ent,1 and del'elopmmt.• and e1Mure,, that tl.>e in(ornuztum i1 e.lpred.•ed in the appropruzte termd alll) fl·amerlwithin the conte.l·t ol ,•tratepic • • • • • © IPTS - JRC - Seville, 1997 The IPTS Report N o 1 3 1 9 9 7 At the lc,•el o/ uztemal tll:qani•atimz, tcchnol,yy watch actil'itie,• hal'e l1een .•tructured tll'ti/L!Id t/.JmllltLc ndwork:.t ,•uch a,•: mn:qy-ml'ironment-tmn,•port; file ,tcience.•, information tec!Jilol,~qy; re,qional del'clopment and employment. I am ti'mzly conl'inced tbat tbe European Science and Tcchnolt~tJY Ollde!vatory (ESTO) network:, ,,et up by the I PTS, part o/ tbe Eumpean Comnu:t,timz :, Joint Re,•earcb Cmtrc (.!RC'), i• the tool that the Eumpean l 11lli)fl nce1J,, to ,•trm_qthen it.t techno!t~tJY watch actil'itie,,, and that it will he aMe to ·'"'"'e a,• a rc/erence at nafli)flallel'el /;11. rc,•earch and it,• applicatLi)fl.t. • • • • • © IPTS · JRC -Seville, 1997 N o 1 3 A p r I I 1 9 9 7 The IPTS Report THE IPTS REPORT c 0 N T E N T s 4 Editorial Information and communication Technology A P R L 1 9 9 7 EDITED BY THE INSTITUTE FOR PROSPECTIVE 5 Internet: The Academic Network Revisited TECHNOLOGICAL STUDIES IIPTSI Ever increasmg numbers of Internet users and congestion have provoked some organizatiOns And ISSUed In CooperatiOn With the European S&T Observatory Network to create private networks. As well as advanced technologies offering increased bandwidth, PUBLISHED BY THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION pnontizat1on and chargmg are also be1ng cons1dered. Jo1nt Research centre ISSN 1025-9384 Catalogue Number GK -AA-97 -003-EN-C 11 Smart Is beautiful DEPOT LEGAL SE-1937·95 DIRECTOR To date Europe has been the leader 1n both the development and use of smart card Herbert J Allgeier technology. Its advantages over the magnetiC stripe card, particularly 1n terms of secunty, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ensure it a promising future with a huge range of applicatiOns. However, many techn1cal and 01m1tns Kynakou soc1al issues need to be addressed 1f publ1c acceptance IS to be ensured. EDITORIAL BOARD H J Allge1er lchawmanl, C TahJr, G Fahrenkrog, P S0rup, C de la Torre. I Maghwos. J Naegele !SubJect Editor Transport!, D PapameletJou !SubJect-Editor Regional Development Enwonmentl, A sona !SubJect-Editor EnergyJ, J Gav1gan !SubJect-Editor Technology-Employment- 20 Technology deficits and sustainable development In Less Favoured CompetJtJvenessl, K Beese !SUbJect-Editor Regions of the EU Blotechnologyl, and D Kynakou !SubJect-Editor Information and Telecommunication Technolog1es1 PRODUCTION Sustainable development is sometimes d1smJssed as a luxury at pol1cy mak1ng level, 1n part CINDOC·CSIC/CL SERVICIOS LINGUISTICOS PRINT because of overemphasis of 1ts ecolog1cal d1mens1on. However, understood 1n 1ts fuller Graesal environmental, economic and social mean1ng, 1t can make an Important contnbut1on to the TRANSLATION CINDOC·CSIC/CL SERVICIOS LINGUISTICOS debate on reg1onal development pol1cy.