Technology assessment, expectations and networks: An illustration using new materials

This presents an approach to forecasting and identifying the positive and negative consequences of a new technology. It outlines aspects of the theory of actor networks, and shows how it can help the analysis. As a specific example, to aid communication, it considers new materials technology (engineering plastics, composites, ceramics, and so on). It briefly outlines some trends, reviews two other reports (OTA and FAST), and presents the first results of the authors' own study. The emphasis is on methodology, rather than the technicalities of new materials.