De- and Re-Institutionalizing Technology Assessment in Contemporary Knowledge-Based Economies

This article illuminates the potential role of technology assessment (TA) in knowl- edge-driven science, technology and inno- vation (STI) regimes by providing a compar- ative review of Flemish and Walloon TA. It draws critical attention to the ways in which TA actors and institutes in Flanders and Wal- lonia position themselves, or are positioned, in relation to dominant innovation policies and large-scale political transformations, notably the convergence of STI around the knowledge-based economy (KBE) and the regionalization of STI policy in Belgium. The article’s findings shed light on the Flemish government’s recent decision to close its parliamentary TA institute and the institution- al expansion of TA in Wallonia and elsewhere in Europe. It argues that TA has politics, as TA in Flanders and Wallonia aligns with the advent of strategic science and is also affil- iated to specific political parties. As these considerations run counter to the dominant representation of TA as a neutral governance tool that serves the needs of all STI decision makers, they draw into question the viability and utility of TA within contemporary KBEs.