Looking through the crystal ball of innovation: The role of technology foresight in the industrial organization

This paper analyses the usefulness of the Technology Foresight (TF) process and how it can enhance the economic prosperity and innovative potential of manufacturing industry. Usually conducted on national scales, the key aims of TF are to foster a collaborative and communicative approach to developing next generation of products, processes and services, based on the identification of future science and technology directions. Key to this is developing effective links between central government and industry. This is complex and often not achieved during TF programmes. This paper examines this link by considering the example of the UK ceramics industry and its Foresight study.