Dialogik - PROSUITE

PROSUITE

Development and application of a standardized methodology for the PROspective SUstaInability assessment of Technologies.

Funded by the European Commission under the 7th Framework Programme

Brief description

The main goal of PROSUITE is to develop a coherent, scientifically sound, and widely accepted methodology for the sustainability assessment of current and future technologies over their life cycle, applicable to different stages of maturity. With PROSUITE, we will identify the “hot spots” of sustainability assessment of technologies. Whereas many projects have broad and general aims, this project is proposed to be specific by delivering actual sustainability estimates for four technology cases with close consultation of the stakeholders involved. Essential to this is the ability to derive a standardized methodology to assess the sustainability of existing and especially new technologies. PROSUITE will show (i) how to combine technology forecasting methods with life cycle approaches, (ii) how to develop and possibly combine the three sustainability dimensions in a standardized, comprehensive, and feasible way. In line with the general overview of activities given above, PROSUITE has, apart from a work package on coordination, 7 work packages with its specific objectives.

DIALOGIK's contribution
DIALOGIK is in charge of the work package on social assessment and contributes to case studies and other workpackages. Specifically, the social assessment comprises

to generate a concept of social sustainability that is comprehensive, consistent and inclusive and allows a coherent transformation into an operational list of measurable social indicators.
to delineate from such a concept a list of social indicators that relate to both social sustainability and technology development.
to integrate the findings of technology assessment, technology foresight, social lifecycle analysis, social indicators and social sustainability studies into a coherent and consistent perspective.
to select quantitative indicators whenever possible and additional qualitative indicators where needed.
to develop special methodological tools for operationalising these indicators, placing special emphasis on respecting context variables (i.e. highly affluent versus less affluent European countries) and dealing with uncertainties and ambiguities.
to develop participatory approaches to deal with ambiguities and provide protocols for measuring those indicators that demand input from stakeholders.

Project partners

Participant no.

Participant organisation name

Country

1. Kornelis Blok, Martin K. Patel and (Claudia) Andrea Ramirez (Coordinator)

Utrecht University, Department of Science, Technology and Society / Copernicus Institute (UU)

The Netherlands

2. Edgar Hertwich

Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)

Norway

3. Michael Z. Hauschild

Technical University of Denmark (DTU)

Denmark

4. Ortwin Renn and Piet Sellke

DIALOGIK

Germany

5. Paula Antunes

Ecological Economics and Management Centre – Foundation of the Faculty of Sciences and Technology, New University of Lisbon (UNL)

Portugal

6. Stefanie Hellweg and Annette Köhler

Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH)

Switzerland

7. Claire Mays

Institut Symlog (SYMLOG)

France

8. Mark A.J. Huijbregts

National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM)

The Netherlands

9. Jyri Seppälä, Petrus Kautto

Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE)

Finland

10. Jo Dewulf

Gent University (UG)

Belgium

11. Michael Obersteiner, Joanne Linnerooth Bayer

International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA)

Austria

12. Anna Vari

Budapest University of Technical and Economic Sciences (BUTES)

Hungary

13. Gara Villalba and Robert Ayres

(UAB)

Spain

14. Mark Goedkoop

Pré Consultancy (PRE)

Netherlands

15. Andreas Ciroth

GreenDeltaTC (GD)

Germany

16. Costas Galiotis

FORTH

Greece

17. Helmuth Leitner

Solvay

Belgium

18. Bruno de Wilde, Steven Verstichel

OWS

Belgium

19. Arja Mehtälä

NOKIA

Finland

20. Julio Santarén

Tolsa

Spain

21. Murray Height

HeiQ

Switzerland

22. Christian Ludwig

PSI

Switzerland

23. Daniel Paska

Sony Ericsson

Sweden

24. Armin Michel

DSM

Netherlands

Duration
Sept. 2009 – Sept. 2013

Overall coordination
Utrecht University, Department of Science, Technology and Society / Copernicus Institute (UU)

DIALOGIK team
Supervision: Ortwin Renn
Project leader: Piet Sellke