Development of Roadmap for Photovoltaic Solar Technologies and Market in Poland

Poland is dynamically changing its energy mix. As a result of this process, solar energy is increasing its share in energy production. The development of the solar energy market is determined by numerous factors. This paper aims to develop a roadmap for further development of the photovoltaic (PV) energy market in Poland. The scope of the research covers five areas of PV technology and market development in Poland: (i) technology; (ii) power grids; (iii) law; (iv) economic conditions; and (v) social conditions. With the use of a Technology Roadmapping Methodology (TRM), for each of the determined areas, several factors were analyzed, and their development paths were described. In addition, the article focuses on technological challenges (regarding PV cells, modules, components, power conversion and monitoring and management system, optimizers, batteries, and other energy storage systems), grid efficiency, recycling, production costs, subsidies, public awareness and education, and the energy exclusion problem. The main result of the research is the roadmap of the photovoltaic solar energy technology and market development in Poland. Further development of the PV market and technology requires parallel progress in all the identified areas. This study offers implications for policymakers, investors, managers, and technology and infrastructure developers regarding their involvement in photovoltaic market.

Technology Roadmapping Application in Smart City’s Development

Modern cities are changing to become more reliant upon technology for better personal, social, and economic outcomes for all citizens. The core of enabling a smart city plan relies on a comprehensive understanding of its drivers and technological aid requirements. Hence, technology roadmapping as one of the most effective approaches need to be considered to aligning the smart cities strategies with planning in the field of technology, while the focus on the most technology roadmapping studies has been limited to the development of industrial technology and product development. Thus, to support the achievement of the smart cities, this study aims to adapt and utilise Strategic Technology Alignment Roadmapping (STAR) methodology to guid and justify investment in smart city’s R&D projects to achieve the optimum project portfolio. The method is tested in a real case study, which shows how STAR methodology can be effective to implement throughout the worldwide smart cities development to support strategic technology investments.

Agile Roadmapping: An Adaptive Approach to Technology Foresight

Technology roadmapping has become an important foresight tool for science, technology, and innovation (STI) policy and technology strategy development. There are, however, challenges in translating evidence from foresight into the strategies of STI agencies and the planning of research & technology development (RTD) organizations. While the foresight evaluation literature identifies methodological issues related to evidence granularity, scope, and stakeholder confidence, there is limited guidance on how to ensure roadmapping outputs are strategically relevant, appropriately detailed, and credible. This paper highlights the potential of using structured visual roadmapping frameworks to anticipate potential strategic foresight evidence failures and using the adaptive and iterative nature of roadmapping processes to address them. In this paper, we distinguish between: the roadmapping framework ‘canvas’; the foresight evidence captured on the canvas; the process of generating the evidence; and any final strategic plan developed using that evidence (with goals, milestones, actions, etc). We investigate efforts to use the roadmapping canvas as a research tool and diagnostic to explore emerging technology trajectories and innovation ‘pathways’. We demonstrate that key patterns of evidence distribution on the roadmapping canvas have the potential to reveal where further evidence may need to be gathered, or where further triangulation of stakeholder perspectives may be required. We argue that by adaptively addressing these patterns at key stages within the roadmapping process (and appropriately re-scoping, re-prioritizing, and re-focusing foresight effort and resources), the granularity, coverage, and consensus of the roadmapping evidence can be greatly enhanced. We conclude the paper by summarizing a set of novel principles for adaptive agile roadmapping, reflecting on the implications for foresight more generally, and outlining a future research agenda to test and refine this approach to agile foresight.