ABSTRACT
The following contribution describes changes in conducting foresight in Japan, as well as organisational changes in science and technology policy-making. Foresight is defined as the attempt to look systematically into the longer-term future of science, technology, the economy and society. It aims to identify those areas of strategic research and the emergence of generic technologies which will have a large impact on economic and social benefits. In Japan, there is a special focus on identifying future technologies that might enable policy-making to adapt existing conditions for a better performance in science and technology. The process of looking into the future is undertaken using different methods, most of them aimed at stimulating communication about future events. The process as such is, therefore, often as important as the results. The results of foresight are normally used for policy-making or strategic planning in science, technology and innovation. They are therefore of interest to companies, to decision-makers, and to the media and those private persons who want to know what lies ahead.
