Supporting and evaluating emerging technologies: a review of approaches

New technologies, such as genomics or nanotechnology, emerge together with high expectations and with huge uncertainties. This creates a specific condition for innovation policies and their evaluation. The reduction of uncertainty - especially needed in emerging technologies - may actually lead to unfavourable situations, such as rigid routines that hinder innovative new options or protective niches that foster less-adapted technology. Three dedicated approaches to evaluate and orient emerging technologies are reviewed that start from, respectively, technology assessment, the formation of niches and the formation of networks. These approaches seek to monitor, evaluate and optimise the processes by which technologies are shaped and stimulate learning between all parties involved.