LIST OF PANELS

The objectives of this panel are to 1) generate discussion surrounding the policy implications from a range of emerging technologies, from the benign, to the truly life changing and potentially lethal, 2) discuss potential policy models and frames to best understand and explore these technologies from the policy perspective, and 3) discuss governance frames, and 4) generate topics and issues for future discussion, research and collaboration.

The scientific relevance for this topic is significant as technologies always outpace public policy or governance considerations. What are the implications, or perhaps opportunities, from this situation? The context for the topic is all encompassing in that technologies connect communities and nations. Are traditional intergovernmental perspectives capable of transitioning to governance structures appropriate for emerging technologies? Theoretically, this topic can be placed squarely in the policy process literature, across multiple theories and frameworks. Moe specifically, what is the relationship between emerging and disruptive technologies and the definition of solutions to social problems.

As a relatively new public policy issue, we are unclear if there is a state of the art. Or is there nothing new in this topic? Should policy scholars build on the existing STS literature in an effort to develop integrative models or theories? Is the existing literature on STS, which is more sociology derived, appropriate for policy studies of emerging technologies? On the opposite side, what is the STS literature missing from a policy perspective? All of these questions are ripe for discussion and development at the ICPP.

What are the policy implications from rapidly emerging technologies? What are governance challenges and opportunities with regard to disruptive technologies in the public sector? These, and other, questions frame this session on public policy for emerging and disruptive technologies. We are encouraging submissions on theoretical approaches to emerging technologies, comparative perspectives, both geographic and technology-focused, and discussion papers. Emerging technologies such as Big Data, artificial intelligence, and robotics are creating challenges, and opportunities for new emphasis on the nexus of science and policy. We are seeking papers that explore this linkage through creative and provocative hypotheses and perspectives.