Designing research strategy and technology innovation for sustainability by adopting “imaginary future generations”—A case study using metallurgy

To mobilize science and technology for sustainability, it is essential to develop a method for explicitly considering the needs and preferences of future generations in designing research strategies and technology innovations. In this study, we conducted a participatory deliberation experiment on research strategy design of hydrothermal reactions and slag, to analyze whether the adoption of imaginary future generations (IFGs), which is a social system that has been proven to be effective for overcoming shortsightedness and activating futurability of people and society in pursuit of sustainability, could change the direction of research and development (R&D) and thereby innovation. A questionnaire survey was administered to the participants after each deliberation session to verify whether treatments, such as analyzing past R&D initiatives and adopting IFGs in deliberations, would change participants’ perceptions about criteria related to designing R&D programs. The results of the deliberation experiment showed that the contents and ideas of research strategies, such as research visions, methodologies and anticipated benefits, were changed by the adoption of IFGs. The criteria used for designing R&D also altered according to changes in research strategy. The findings showed that adopting IFGs and examining issues from the viewpoint of “futurability” could shift the direction of research agendas and technological innovation. Furthermore, the findings could provide insights into how to design R&D strategies and generate innovations in pursuit of sustainability by reflecting upon the needs of and benefits to future generations.