A chance to redefine global technology assessment? A relational framework for impact reflexivity

This paper argues that impact in Technology Assessment (TA) has become linked to global interdependence, increasing technological complexity, and contested futures. Building on the 2004 project ‘Technology Assessment in Europe: Between Method and Impact,’ which aimed to connect methods and impacts, it introduces a relational framework for impact reflexivity in TA. The framework centers on seven interconnected design principles: relational impact assessment, pluralistic co-production, power-sensitive inclusion, ethical and normative reflexivity, adaptive temporalities, situated globality, and reflexive transparency. Rather than viewing impact as a simple output or success metric, the paper sees it as a contextual process through which TA influences what is known, debated, and acted upon in institutional and public spheres. The contribution provides a clearer conceptual vocabulary and practical guidelines for designing TA within real institutional constraints. The paper concludes by discussing implications for TA institutions, commissioning bodies, and practitioners, and highlights priorities for empirical testing and refinement.