The Observatory of Technology Assessment has in its aims the support to the parliamentary activities on technology assessment, offering the expertise and experience of its members in the field. It assumed the involvement of the national network GrEAT (Studies Group on Technology Assessment) on the organisation of a parliamentary unit on TA, and will continue such scientific and technical support to the national Parliament.

The history of Parliamentary Technology Assessment in Portugal has more than a decade. The main milestones of this activity were:

Chronology of Parliamentary Technology Assessment in Portugal

1990s - Several cases discussed in Parliament (e.g. Souselas, in vitro fertilization, new airport in Lisbon, etc.)

2009 - Report on Science (Rapporteur MP Bravo Nico)

2010 - 1^st Progress Report on Science (1^st legislative session Rapporteur MP José Ferreira Gomes)

2010 - Report on Science in Portugal (Rapporteur MP José Ferreira Gomes)

2010 - Conference "Science in Portugal" (20 Dec. 2010)

2010 - Foundation of the Studies Group for Technology Assessment (GrEAT), started meetings at the national Parliament on TA

2011 - 2^nd Progress Report on Science (2^nd legislative session Rapporteur MP José Ferreira Gomes)

2013 - Report by MP Rui Santos "Final Report Parliamentary Technology Assessment"

2014 - Organisation of colloquium of the MEP Marisa Matias at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology

- Intervention of MP Rui Pedro Duarte at the parliament on TA during the PACITA meeting in Lisbon

2015 - Report by MP Rui Pedro Duarte "Report Parliamentary Technology Assessment"

         - Scientific article on Parliamentary Technology Assessment in Portugal

         - Elected the Committee on Education and Science: Alexandre Quintanilha (Chairman), Mano Margarida (Vice President) and Abel Baptista (Vice President) - (Link to the complete list of members)

        - Elected the Committee on Economy, Innovation and Public Works: Helder Amaral (President), Fernando Virgílio Macedo (Vice President) and Hortense Martins (Vice President) - (Link to the complete list of members)

2016 - The OAT re-started the contacts with the main parliamentary committees related with Technology Assessment

      - Proposal of OAT as associated member of EPTA (European Parliamentary Technology Assessment) at the Council meeting in Vienna, with the presence of Nuno Boavida (board of OAT) and Alexandre Quintanilha (MP and chairman of the Committe of Education and Science). EPTA Council decided not to approve OAT in that meeting in spite of the support from the MP and Chairman.

2017 - Finally was approved the proposal of OAT as associated member of EPTA at it's Council meeting

2018 - Organization of the national conference on TA (joining the 8^th Doctoral Conference on TA and the 9^th Winter School on TA) in November 2018

         - The OAT members António Moniz and Nuno Boavida elaborated the Portuguese report on digital democracy for the PTA Conference 2018 "Towards a digital democracy – opportunities and challenges", held in Brussels, on December 2018

2019 - Meetings with MP on the assessment of process for a parliamentary unit on TA (UPAT)

         - After legislative election was elected the new parliamentary Committee on Education, Science, Youth and Sports: Firmino Marques (president), Carla Sousa (vice-president). Members list here.

        - Celebration of the 10^th year of the PhD program on TA (Nova University of Lisbon, November 2019).

        - Support to the regional parliament of Azores (ALRA) on emerging TA topics

        - Researchers of CICS.NOVA elaborated the chapter on Portugal for the EPTA report 2019 on Technologies in care for older people (Ana Paula Gil, FCSH Nova University of Lisbon; António Brandão Moniz, FCT Nova University of Lisbon; José de São José, University of Algarve; Bettina-Johanna Krings, KIT; Bárbara Bäckström, Open University)

2020 - The OAT re-started the contacts with the main parliamentary committees related with Technology Assessment, but the COVID19 pandemics made impossible the meeting and audiences.

2021 - Participation in the EPTA Directors and Council meetings (Swedish presidency) with the presentation of national report

2022 - Participation in the EPTA Directors and Council meetings (Germany presidency) with the presentation of national report

          - Elected the parliamentary Committee on Education and Science: Alexandre Quintanilha (president), Germana Rocha (vice-president). Members list here.

2023 - Participation in the EPTA Directors and Council meetings (Catalonia presidency) with the presentation of national report

     - Organization of the EPTA Practitioners Meeting in Lisbon, 24-26 October, by the OAT/CICS.NOVA in collaboration with Oficina C (Spain).

         - Participation in the Conference at the Assembleia da República on the EPTA Practitioners Meeting, 24 October

Other documents

Institutions with Parliamentary Technology Assessment

List of Technology Assessment studies prepared for the European Parliamentarians

List of studies carried out by the Office for Technology Assessment of the US Congress