Roadmapping: an Instrument for Formulating and Implementing STI Policies

STI policies face many challenges in societies including ambiguities and uncertainties toward the future. To tackle with challenges, many instruments are developed. Roadmapping as one of these instruments initially is used as a planning tool at the firm level in technology development, but during the last years, national science, technology and innovation (STI) policy makers have become aware of the potential roadmapping offers for strategic technology and innovation management and begun applying it in the context of STI policy and priority setting in this context especially. Recently, to meet the need of STI policies, some of roadmap features have been strengthened, including: holistic (attention to social issues and the social context of innovations and policies), alternative futures (use of different scenarios toward different perspectives), and participation and active learning. In this way, it has become a powerful instrument of STI policy. This paper introduces the roadmapping concept history, structure, and processes, and designing and implementing the STI policies, and finally, lists the STI's performance indicators.