Comparative Table of Parliamentary TA Institutions
FLANDERS - INSTITUTE SOCIETY AND TECHNOLOGY
Institutionalisation
The IST was founded by decree by the Flemish Parliament on 17 July
2000, as an independent, autonomously functioning organisation for
technology assessment. At that time it was called viWTA (Flemish
Institute for Science and Technology Assessment). After an evaluation
in 2008, it has been renamed Institute Society and Technology.
As an autonomous institution associated with the Flemish
Parliament, the Institute has its own executive board, which consists
of 16 members. Eight of them are members of the Flemish Parliament,
belonging to the various parties in the parliament. One of them will be
appointed to the Presidency of the board. The other half is composed of
experts from the Flemish scientific, technological, environmental and
socio-economic communities.
The daily responsibility of the Institute is being held by the
scientific secretariat. Besides a director and an administrative
secretariat, the staff is composed of a small but thoroughgoing group
of 4 up to 6 researchers and a communication manager.