foresight

Purpose – Many experts consider that the technological convergence of previously separated sciences like nanotechnology, biotechnology, information and communication technologies and cognitive sciences, will – in the long term – impact deeply our society and economy. Key actors in society need to become aware of the challenges linked to converging applications (CA) and take some decision related to processes to develop these. It is hoped that analyzing CA-related opportunities and risks at a very early stage will contribute to reduce possible adverse effects in the future. This paper seeks to address this issue.

Design/methodology/approach – The analysis is based upon a literature review, complemented with ten expert interviews carried out over the telephone. The interviewees were natural and social scientists familiar with the topic of converging technologies/applications.

Findings – Setting priorities for discussion on research and strategy within and between the various fields of CA benefits from the early involvement of key stakeholders from the very beginning. Formulating and structuring relevant open questions on opportunities and possible risks of CA helps to contribute to a balanced discussion on opportunities and risks and further work on this topic.

Originality/value – The opportunity and risk analysis is exemplified for four promising areas at the intersection of cognitive science and ICT, namely human brain interfaces; speech recognition technologies; artificial neural networks; and robotics.