The Institute for Prospective Technological Studies (IPTS) is one of the seven scientific institutes of the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC), located in Seville, Spain.

Since 1994, IPTS promotes and enables a better understanding of the links between technology, economy and society. Its mission is to provide customer-driven support to the EU policy-making process by developing science-based responses to policy challenges that have both a socio-economic as well as a scientific/ technological dimension.

The mission of IPTS is to provide customer-driven support to the EU policy-making process by developing science-based responses to policy challenges that have both a socio-economic as well as a scientific/technological dimension.

The Institute's main competences consist in providing policy option analysis and policy impact assessment, analysing the socio-economics of new technologies, delivering techno-economic tools and platforms to our customers, and managing information exchange and consensus-building among policy-makers and stakeholder on highly complex techno-economic issues (something that we call "bureau services").

The Institute's activities mainly contribute to the conception and development of EU policies, but some IPTS projects also support the monitoring and implementation phases of the policy cycle. Our research focuses on policy challenges of strategic importance to the European Union. Its work is undertaken, mainly, at the request of other Directorates General of the European Commission. In addition in recent years several assignments have been carried out for the European Parliament. IPTS collaborates closely with the other Institutes of the Joint Research Centre and multiple partners across Europe.

The Joint Research Centre (JRC)

The mission of the Joint Research Centre (JRC) is to provide customer-driven scientific and technical support for the conception, development, implementation and monitoring of EU policies. As a service of the European Commission, the JRC functions as a reference centre of science and technology for the Union. Close to the policy-making process, it serves the common interest of the Member States, while being independent of special interests, whether private or national. The Institute for Prospective Technological Studies (IPTS) is one of the seven scientific institutes of the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC). Its mission is to provide customer-driven support to the EU policy-making process by researching science-based responses to policy challenges that have both a socioeconomic and a scientific or technological dimension.

Previous experience:

The Joint Research Centre (JRC) plays an important role in the European Research Area both in co-ordinating common measurement systems and in developing networking, training and assistance to EU enlargement activities. The JRC developed a special strategy for the enlargement and integration process, embracing the New Member States and Candidate Countries). Moreover all workshops and training possibilities have been as of 2005 opened to the Western Balkan Countries and a gradual opening for the countries of the European Neighbourhood Policy is being prepared. The JRC carries out specific high-level research in close co-operation with European industry and other bodies. This enables it to be alerted to new developments, analyse relationships, quantify input, assess options, support specific policy measures, store and disseminate information, and develop dependable procedures and measurements.

Source: project partner description; IPTS website.