The dominant forces in the society were arts, philosophy, and basic sciences at the height of the Roman Empire. Religion became the dominant force after that. Then came the agricultural era when efficient food production and distribution became the drivers of the 19th century. We saw industrialization at the center stage when new world powers started to emerge in the first half of the 20th century. In the last 50 years, the industrial era gave way to what we now have. Today’s society is dominated not by agricultural or industrial efficiencies, but by technological effectiveness and innovations. We are living in the technology era and observing the impact of technology in every aspect of our lives, communities and societies. The global centers of power in today’s society are being defined by the development and management of technologies. Those who are able to create new ideas, develop new technologies and harness the capabilities generated by those technologies are setting the standards and leading the way for the rest of the world. As the rate of change increases and the technological system, socio- economic system, political systems and educational system become more intertwined, global leadership in every field is shifting toward innovative use and effective management of technology.

The world will continue to change. That change will continue to be dominated by technology especially as we start seeing the convergence of the emerging biotechnology and nanotechnology with the current computer, information and communication technologies. Management of the technologies that are changing the world will be the challenge upon us. If we succeed we will reshape the world for the betterment of humanity. If we fail, we will be victims to the forces affecting our lives through the misuse of technology. It is up to us to be the winners in this new world.

PICMET's focus is on bringing together the experts on technology management to address the issues involved in managing current and emerging technologies so that the society will be the winner in this changing world.