TECHNOLOGY FORESIGHT SUMMIT - Unido

110 International Practice in Technology Foresight
cooperation between them including the contact between academic and R&D
institution is surprisingly weak. By entering into the global market, the accession
countries became competitors of each other on the food market in particular.
Prudent cooperation among them is badly needed. Foresight cannot
replace but may enhance the inclination for various forms of cooperation.
As most CEE countries are relatively small and have not accumulated much
experience with foresight, the available assistance of international organizations
may be a valuable contribution to their social and technical/technological
development. UNIDO’s regional initiative in Central and Eastern
Europe and the Newly Independent States (similar to the various possibilities
in the Framework Programme 6 of the European Union together with the
current projects and programmes of DG-RTD-Unit K2 supporting Foresight
activities) may be instrumental in raising awareness and building capacity
by organising expert meetings and conferences, conducting of studies, mobilizing
financing mechanisms, defining counterparts and creating the coordination
mechanism.
Addressed to Business Community and Industry
Foresight at corporate level
Developing scenarios for a company is a learning process, which best takes
place in form of a strategic debate. In our highly dynamic and complex world,
guidance by scenarios in the decision process is the best means to navigate
a company securely through uncharted waters. Common longer-term thinking
exercises between enterprises and their closer regional public and private
environment may have a mutually beneficial effect and contribute to
building a real democratic and transparent governance within the region.
Innovation capability
The financial and trade integration of the CEE nations did not result in an
automatic integration in production, and it has not led to integration in technology
development at all. The economic upgrading of these economies based
on foreign direct investment (FDI) may reach very soon its limits as a result
of lacking domestically generated R&D and technological knowledge. It is not
hard to estimate that both the quantity and quality (focus and level of valueadded
activities) of future inward FDI in CEE will to a great extent depend
on both the absorptive capacities and innovative capabilities.
Regional specialities
On enlargement Europe will be by far the largest common consumer common
market. Products of the CEE region may have a comparative advantage