PUBLIC OPINION ON FUTURE INNOVATIONS, SCIENCE AND...

Eurobarometer Qualitative Study

PUBLIC OPINION ON FUTURE

INNOVATIONS, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

National Report

June 2015

Ireland

This study has been requested by the European Commission, Directorate-General for Research and

Innovation and co-ordinated by Directorate-General for Communication.

Qualitative study – TNS Qual+

Project title

Eurobarometer Qualitative study - “Public opinion on future innovations, science and technology” - National Report Ireland

Linguistic Version EN

Catalogue Number KI-04-15-315-EN-N

ISBN 978-92-79-48061-4

DOI 10.2777/949632

© European Union, 2015

Eurobarometer Qualitative study

Public opinion on future innovations, science and technology: results of focus

groups in selected Member States

National Report

Ireland

Conducted by TNS Qual+ at the request of the European Commission,

Directorate-General for Research and Innovation

Survey co-ordinated by the European Commission, Directorate-General for Communication

(DG COMM “Strategy, Corporate Communication Actions and Eurobarometer” Unit)

NATIONAL REPORT – Ireland “Innovations, science and technology”

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

A. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ........................................................................ 2

B. OBJECTIVES AND METHODOLOGY ...................................................... 5

Objectives ............................................................................................ 5

Methodology and sampling ..................................................................... 5

Participant profile .................................................................................. 5

National context .................................................................................... 6

I. GENERAL PERCEPTIONS ABOUT SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL

INNOVATIONS .................................................................................... 7

1.1 General associations linked to the notion of scientific innovation .......... 7

1.2 The most important scientific and technological innovations observed

over recent years ................................................................................... 10

II. SPONTANEOUS PROJECTIONS ON TOMORROWS SCIENTIFIC AND

TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATIONS ...................................................... 12

2.1 The scientific innovations expected to be part of peoples’ daily life in

2030 and their possible impact ................................................................ 12

2.2 Expected innovations in selected areas ........................................... 14

III. REACTIONS TO FUTURE SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL

INNOVATIONS IN SELECTED AREAS ................................................. 17

3.1 Homes and living ......................................................................... 17

3.2 Health and healthcare .................................................................. 20

3.3 Ubiquitous communication and interaction ...................................... 24

3.4 Environment ............................................................................... 28

IV. CONCLUSION .................................................................................... 31

Qualitative Study European

Commission

Qualitative Study European Commission


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A. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

General perceptions about scientific and technological innovations

In overview, the groups clearly associated scientific innovation with

communications, technology, transport and medical advancements. All noted the

huge change we have seen with regard to technology and its impact on

communication and societal behaviour. The most important innovations in the

past 15 years, which clearly stood out are the internet, medicine and transport.

There are pros and cons to innovation and participants differentiated between

progress that benefits the greater good (e.g. more efficient, cost-effective ways

to communicate) versus progress that can impact the individual in a negative way

(e.g. data privacy concerns).

Spontaneous projections on tomorrows’ scientific and technological innovations

Innovations that are anticipated in 2030 are far-reaching and have a broad remit

with a focus on transport (space travel, self-drive cars), medical advances (cures

for various conditions/disease, cloning, stem cell therapy) and fully smart homes.

People are excited about how science and technology will make our lives better,

more efficient and prolong life expectancy. However, they are anxious that

progress may not be evenly felt in society and the rich will potentially benefit

more than the poor.

How we live in 2030 will be impacted by advancements in “smart homes” and

mundane household chores will become a thing of the past. Our houses will be

more energy efficient; potentially carbon neutral and extensive recycling will be

the norm. Older people will be facilitated to live in their own homes for longer and

people with disabilities will be positively supported by smarter homes. There is a

fear that we may become lazy and too dependent on machines, with less

interaction with humans on a daily basis becoming the norm. With regard to

healthcare and how it will look in 2030, people are confident that our life

expectancy will be better, as we will be living healthier lives with more access to

“proactive” medicine. This does create concern that we will not be able to

financially support the ageing population and economically how will we manage.

Communication is ever changing and technology is advancing at a rapid pace.

There are misgivings about how we will keep up and stay on top of it. The

expense of changing technology is noted e.g. constant upgrades and new models,

resulting in technology becoming obsolete too quickly. Many older participants

feared the loss of their private personal data and felt overwhelmed by progress in

this arena. The environment is an area of anxiety, however many felt more

positive about how we will manage this and respond to climate change / global

warming in 2030. On a positive note, people maintained that we will be more

mindful of the environment, we will recycle more and there will be widespread

use of renewable energy. However, there is disquiet as to how we will manage

food production in the future and an anticipation that our climate is going to be

increasingly volatile and extreme.


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Reactions to future scientific and technological innovations in selected areas

This executive summary succinctly summarises the key highlights within each

scenario that was brought before the six groups. It is important to note that key

differences emerged across the age groups, but less so regarding education.

Homes and living

Participants struggled with the concept of PRA as a robot living in your home and

found it is unappealing and creates privacy issues. However, if PRA is re-worked

as a “smart home” controlled via a portal or App the tasks and capabilities are

much more appealing. Aspects of the innovation that are desirable, due to their

time saving and efficiency include the energy meter, smart fridge, coated glass,

home delivery and help with household chores. There is a strong fear expressed,

particularly among older participants, that we will become lazy, dependent and

redundant in our own homes. It will be necessary for us to maintain control and

choose the level of in-home technology we are comfortable with.

Health and healthcare The wearable bio-chips was an enlightening innovation that appealed to all due to

being able to detect and prevent illnesses / diseases. Having direct calls with

doctors over video link was contentious; people could see the positives i.e. not

having to waste your time or that of the doctors and not having to physically go

into the surgery (and risk picking up a cold/flu). The negatives included not

having that face-to-face (F2F) consultation with a doctor especially when matters

were of a more serious nature. Privacy of personal data remains a key worry for

some participants and the thought of having a centralised data record did not

appeal for this very reason. However, the area of stem cell therapy was

overwhelmingly positive and the vast majority were in favour of such an

innovation. The notion of being able to repair organs felt like a breakthrough and

one they look forward to seeing in society. An area that did not seem to sit well

with the participants was the fit between the supermarket and the medical

services. Participants struggled to comprehend how this scenario would evolve

naturally and ultimately re-framed how this could be more appealing i.e. a

separate medical centre beside a supermarket but not to be one and the same.


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Ubiquitous communication and interaction The topic of ‘Communications’ was an area which received the highest levels of

engagement, interest and conversation. This area was hugely important amongst

the groups. Every participant has a basic, if not strong, understanding of the topic

as they routinely interact with technology on a daily basis that has fundamentally

changed how they communicate. Not surprisingly, the section on

‘Communications’ is longer than the three other topics within the report.

Whilst the topic of communications was a ‘hot topic’ the groups identified both

positive and negative associations. The issue of ‘Privacy of Personal Data’ was the

main negative and the majority of participants were not in favour of their data

being collected, especially their personal preferences being used by companies.

Participants acknowledged that this is currently happening, but even so this idea

did not appeal. They felt it exposed them to identity theft. The idea of ubiquitous

tracking of people by satellites was not well received by the groups either.

Although perceived as negative, some participants were able to see potential

benefits with the innovation such as helping to find missing persons and being

better equipped to fight crime. The virtual reality element of the Communications

was, by far, the most positively endorsed innovation by all participants. They

could see positives from a personal point of view (i.e. communicating virtually

with family and friends in faraway places) and from a work perspective (i.e. the

next gradual step after video conferencing and training).

Environment With regard to the environment, participants were delighted with most of the

innovations described. This is deemed a ‘worthy’ important arena, that should

demand our attention and will ultimately benefit the greater good. However,

people struggled with the potential cost implication and political / commercial will

to drive this degree of change. They universally disliked the Geo Engineering

innovation, it felt too outlandish and scary. There was a strong fear that we could

get it wrong, it’s only a short-term solution and we risk destroying natural habitat

on a large-scale.


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B. OBJECTIVES AND METHODOLOGY

Objectives

The aim of this qualitative study was to get a better understanding of Europeans’

opinion about the innovations brought about by science and technology in

society. More specifically its main objective was to test some innovations that

could be applied 15 years from now in the everyday life of citizens in Europe in

four different areas, and to understand their preferences and reactions in this

regard.

Four areas/scenarios were tested:

Homes and living,

Health and healthcare,

Ubiquitous communication and interaction,

The Environment.

Methodology and sampling

Fieldwork consisted of a series of 6 focus groups, each approximately two hour

and a half in length, conducted in each of the following 16 Member States:

France, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Malta, Netherlands,

Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Finland, United Kingdom and the Czech

Republic.

Participant profile The table below presents the composition of groups:

Group Description

1 18-34 years old who finished their education between 17 and 22

2 20-34 years old who finished their education between 20 and 25

3 35-64 years old who finished their education before 18

4 35-64 years old who finished their education before 18

5 35-64 years old who finished their education after 18

6 35-64 years old who finished their education after 18

The detailed participant profiles and group composition, as well as detail on the

fieldwork dates are described in the technical report.


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National context

Ireland has a small highly globalized economy, with a large exporting sector, and

a significant number of multinational corporations. While the global downturn

impacted significantly on Ireland, the economy is rebounding as domestic

demand improves. Unemployment has been falling for the last two years, as the

economy continues to add jobs, this over-indexes in the ICT arena and benefits

highly skilled, well educated people. Ireland still has huge debts following the

bailout of its banking sector, and thousands of families remain in negative equity,

despite resurgence in house prices. The Irish public are disillusioned with how our

affairs are conducted and the current Government have been preforming poorly

in recent polls. The ongoing controversy of the impending Water Charges

continues with little clarity and increasing public frustration over the debacle.


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I. GENERAL PERCEPTIONS ABOUT SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATIONS

This chapter focuses on the participants’ general view on scientific and

technological innovations in order to get an overall grasp of their opinion on this

subject. Firstly, what ideas, feelings and associations come to their mind

when thinking about these innovations? What positive and negative aspects

do they tend to associate with innovations brought up by science and technology?

Secondly, looking back on recent years, which innovations do they think

had the most impact on society and why? What positive and negative

changes did these scientific and technological innovations bring?

1.1 General associations linked to the notion of scientific innovation

Participants noted the following innovations spontaneously; the Internet,

Communications, Advancements in the Medical arena and Future Transport

(driverless cars etc.). This is not a subject matter that is thought about or asked

about often and so engagement levels were high.

There were apparent cross overs in terms of whether innovations brought about

by Science and/or Technology were positive or negative or in some cases both.

For example, the area of Communications was proffered as an innovation. When

probed, the participants felt that this area was a positive innovation given the fact

that we now have the internet, mobile phones, smartphones, and ability to skype

across the world etc. However there was a unanimous verdict, particularly

amongst the older groups, that the leaps in the area of communication have a

negative side in the sense that the art of ‘real communication’, face-to-face

communication, is suffering.

“It’s the lack of interaction with people and I mean I’ve seen it myself

where we’re in the same room and we’re on the laptops…lack of

communication.” (Ireland, Group 5)

Space Travel was discussed and the notion of entering competitions to win a one

way ticket to Mars. Space travel was quite top-of-mind because of the Virgin

Galactic spacecraft crash in California on October 31st. Participants felt that this

type of travel is a huge innovation and one that will become the norm for future

generations.

Spontaneous examples of positive aspects associated with innovations were

plentiful and are listed below:

Computers

How computers have changed over time and have become such an

integral part of everyday life. The computer has shrunk in size but its

capabilities have increased significantly. Computers are intelligent and

have created efficiencies worldwide.

Medicine

Cures diseases / illnesses, artificial limbs, key-hole surgery, extension of

life span in humans

Phones / Communications


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Introduction of mobile phones, how the look and feel of the mobile phone

has changed significantly since its inception, how much participants feel

they can do on their mobile phone (i.e. make calls, check email, check

social media, shop, pay bills…etc.)

Technology

Technology has become a whole industry in itself i.e. the world can do

almost anything nowadays. The advancement in network coverage such as

4G is seen as a major step towards faster reach, quicker streaming of

information and opportunities for the future.

Productivity

Being able to produce more goods, food, commodities was seen as a

positive. However conversations progresses the participants conceded

there was a negative aspect to Productivity also – unemployment i.e.

robots in production lines replacing humans.

Change/advancement (space)

Space travel was thought to become more accessible, talk of Virgin

Galactic flights to outer space and the recent competition to Mars was

prominent amongst the groups in Ireland.

When asked about what possible negative associations came to mind there was a

definite theme coming through which did not discriminate between the age

profiles of all six groups. The first of these negatives are consistent among both

the younger and older groups:

Greed

From a personal point of view where it was felt that people in general are

more interested in capitalism thanks to increased capabilities brought

about by new technological innovations. Participants also spoke about

greed from a Multinational companies that appear to be solely motivated

by profit and less so about corporate social responsibility.

Lack of Face-to-Face communication / Social Networking

Participants in all groups felt this was a major negative. The art of

conversation, letter writing and grammar has all suffered as a result.

While the older participants felt strongly about younger generations who

are losing out on simple things such as social etiquette. It was clear that

the younger participants had their own concerns, such as addiction and

FOMO (Fear of Missing out).

“Well I was going to mention the internet…the likes of Facebook and other

certain sites, they’re just very addictive. Sometimes if you have the phone

in your hand you’ll just want to be checking it every five minutes and it

becomes a habit”. (Ireland, Group 2)

“Lack of soft skills, communication, people can be very faceless, on

computers and stuff. People’s lack of patience now because everything is

so fast”. (Ireland, Group 3)


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Loneliness

This was verbalised more so amongst the older participants. The

juxtaposition that loneliness has been brought about by advancements in

communications is stark.

“It’s more the loneliness. I’m at home with three kids and they’re up in

their bedrooms having full conversations with people in other bedrooms in

other houses. They never come down or talk, whereas when we were kids

you played together”. (Ireland, Group 5)

Whereas the younger participants don’t mention loneliness as a concern

and it is more a Fear of Missing Out that is the issue.

Privacy Concerns

All participants voiced their concern over the loss of privacy or the lack of

privacy and there was a general consensus that they are being monitored

online via cookies and also monitored offline via PPS (social identification)

numbers and having to provide these for every application form.

“Everybody’s concerned about that, I mean, the water issue. Giving your

PPS number and your bank details and everything about you, you know.

There’s too much access to hacking. There’s too much information…”.

(Ireland, Group 6)

Loss of jobs

Tallied with the loss of personal contact it was widely felt that the

innovations made in technology will ultimately lead to loss of human jobs.

“It has lost jobs though…In my day you picked up a phone and you dialled

a number and you had somebody on the other end of the phone within 10

seconds – nowadays if you go to ring anybody it’s press number 1, press

number 2…”. (Ireland, Group 4)


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1.2 The most important scientific and technological innovations observed over recent years

The participants were asked to think about the most important scientific and

technological innovations we have experienced over the last 15 years. Many came

to mind and are listed below with why they felt these innovations were important

and also what positive and / or negative changes they have brought about.

Improved Communication methods (e.g. Smartphones / Tablets)

The evolution of the mobile phone was quite top of mind when participants

spoke of improved communication methods. Since the first mobile phone

came into widespread production (circa 1998/1999) participants in the older

groups described how much more the mobile phone can do in 2014 versus 15

years ago and how it has improved aesthetically - smaller, more powerful and

sleeker.

Mobile phones are now on a par with small computers and the participants felt

the real benefits of smartphones was that information was much easier to

obtain via the browser options now available, news feeds are much faster and

participants said they use their mobile phones for doing regular chores via

online such as banking, shopping, booking flights etc.

There were some negatives attributed to mobile phone progression such as

security issues and the fear of personal information being hacked easier via

mobile phones and free Wi-Fi. On a more subconscious level there were more

subtle negatives that surfaced indirectly such as FOMO and becoming addicted

to screen time (more likely amongst the younger groups). Loneliness and a

loss of F2F communication was noted amongst the older groups which left

them perceiving the youth of today as rude and not even being aware of this.

Medical advancements

Advancements in the medical profession were mentioned as one of the most

important innovations. When asked for examples of such advancement,

participants mentioned laser eye surgery, surgery to re-build limbs and

keyhole surgery. Finding ways to manage diseases such as Aids was a major

scientific innovation.

3D printing

This is a relatively new innovation and participants did not have as much of an

informed opinion about 3D printing with the exception that it has the potential

to impact on their lives dramatically.

Transport – more options (luas) and safest car in the world, less CO2

emissions (and Space Travel)

Transport was an area that participants felt had seen a significant amount of

change due to innovation. In Ireland participants in the older groups

mentioned the introduction of the Luas (city centre tram) in 2004 and how

this new mode of transport has been a positive introduction to the city from a

commuter and shoppers point of view. The introduction of ‘real time’

information at Bus and Luas stops is noted as a positive innovation and

largely down to the capabilities of GPS.


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It was felt that air travel was getting faster and cheaper and more accessible

to the masses. Space travel is something that is new and exclusive, obviously

not yet widely available but the future potential is there.

Defence

Technological innovation has led to the military becoming more sophisticated

and has allowed for precision in the form of the defence forces using drones.

The participants felt the main benefit from innovations in defence is that less

soldiers will be killed and more precise attacks can be conducted.

Work – ability to WFH

Improvements in communication and technology has made work more

accessible for both employers and their employees in a number of ways such

as being able to hold meetings and see people in different countries and being

able to work from home via laptops with full connection to the office server.

Participants also mentioned that their work is changing and changes have

been made in relation to hours worked i.e. no longer the normal 9-5 working

day. They felt that advancements made in this arena had blurred the lines

between what is the average working day.

The negatives were more top of mind for participants. Having a work mobile

phone meant that access to work was 24 hours and if participants had a work

laptop they felt that they could bring work home which they did not like as

other aspects of their life suffered as a result (social, family etc.).

“I think with work emails and stuff, you know like I always feel that I have

to reply to work emails even if I’m not in the office… they’re expecting you

to reply” (Ireland, Group 2)

The positive aspects of work associated innovations are meeting with

colleagues who are not in the same geographic location, having real-time

conversations and emails and the benefit of working for global companies

despite where you live.

GPS, Tracking

Participants mentioned GPS as an innovation that has become more prevalent

over the last 15 years. Polarisation was apparent among the groups for this

topic. In one sense, the benefits of such an innovation are fantastic and

participants in both young and older groups mentioned the benefits of using

GPS to solve crime. For example the participants spoke of a case in Ireland

whereby there was no hard evidence to convict the suspected perpetrator but

through technology and GPS the police force were able to build a strong case

against him.

In relation to negatives the participants associate GPS with tracking and felt

they are continually tracked over the last 15 years via online (cookies),

shopping offline (loyalty cards), and government via social security numbers.

Whilst many felt this was quite negative and ‘Big Brother’ only one or two

brought it to the other participants attention that having a phone

automatically makes them traceable. Awareness of this seemed quite low

particularly amongst the older groups.


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II. SPONTANEOUS PROJECTIONS ON TOMORROWS SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATIONS

This chapter focuses on participants’ spontaneous projections regarding the

scientific and technological innovations that could be part of their daily life in

2030. Attention is drawn on the changes that are seen as beneficial and those

judged as more negative or undesirable. Finally, it looks at the scientific

innovations participants imagine more particularly in four selected areas:

How living at home will look like in the future; how people will take care of their

health; how people will interact with each other and with machines and how

people will protect the environment in 2030.

2.1 The scientific innovations expected to be part of peoples’ daily life in 2030 and their possible impact

Participant’s thoroughly enjoyed this section of the discussion which brought a

degree of energy and “blue sky” thinking to the proceedings. Looking ahead to

2030 they envisaged a large degree of change and exciting innovations being part

of their daily lives. The more remarkable concepts that emerged across the

groups included space travel, electric self-drive cars, Apps and DIY kits to self-

diagnose medical issues, advances in cloning and stem cell research, bionic limbs,

a cure for cancer and Alzheimer’s, supplements to replace food, interactive

wearable technology (Google glasses brought to the next level), fully smart

homes and all technology will be wireless.

“I’m thinking of medical advances, like therapeutic strategies, the way of

delivering drugs, different ways, say like avoid needles for insulin delivery

or something like that…. Environmental benefits like reducing flooding,

famine, offsetting carbon emissions etc..”. (Ireland, Group 2)

From a positive point of view, many maintained that there will be better, cheaper,

more energy efficient housing, technology will become more accessible and faster

via fibre powered broadband, plus there will be improvements in transport and

infrastructure. There was a lot of debate as to whether these changes will make

society more egalitarian or will it create a further divide between those who can

afford this type of progress, versus those who cannot (first world vs. third world).

Across the groups, there was a strong assumption and fear that we will have to

pay for progress (charges for everything we take for granted e.g. water, energy

etc..) and will be punished by taxes if not towing the line.


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In brief the key advancements noted in each area by 2030 included:

Homes Transport Work Environment Health

Better insulated, smaller homes

Wi-Fi on all public transport

Always connected to work (24/7)

Recycling as a matter of course

Key hole surgery & remote surgery

Energy saving devices in all

homes

Expansion of the Dublin

Bike Scheme

Increased flexibility to

work at home

No more rubbish collection, individuals

responsible

Injections to keep you looking

young

Pay for the

energy you use

Metro System

in Dublin

Global workforce

companies reallocating resource to

cheaper markets

Wind & wave power

widely available

Plastic surgery

DIY at home

Apps to control light and heat

Train from the airport to

Dublin city

Virtual keyboards

Heat from soil used as a source of fuel

Advanced Stem cell research –

umbilical cords stored from birth for future use

Smart home regulates energy & is

centrally

controlled via portal or app

Driverless cars

Hologram conferences & virtual meetings

New fuels will be sourced to replace natural stocks

Google involved in IVF and storing eggs for

fertilisation

Time delays on

appliances & ability to put the whole house on standby

Space travel Less people

more machines

Farmers will need to

grow more “environmentally” friendly food and crops

More diseases

like Ebola & emphysema

House work robots

Standing up on airplanes

Google glasses will change how

we work

Renewable energy used by everyone

Grow organs (like 3D printers)

Recycling all household waste

Everyone will have access to fibre powered

broadband

Laser eye surgery for all

Smart Fridges Plastic surgery more popular

and accessible

“Nanotechnology - tiny robots that can be used to build things, but it can

also be engineered as a terror weapon, so you drop in a few of these tiny

machines and they just break everything down to make more of

themselves and it’s out of control”. (Ireland, Group 2)

“There’s like apps as well coming out at the moment that you can measure

your own like heart rate. I think there’ll be more advancement in those

kind of areas. Jawbone is a wearable wristband and it does all that

information and puts it onto your phone for you. You can probably

measure your blood pressure. Your blood pressure, heart rate, all that

kind of stuff”. (Ireland, Group 1)


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2.2 Expected innovations in selected areas

Homes and living

There is a strong assumption that we will be living more environmentally friendly,

healthier lives (no one will smoke, obesity will be monitored, we will aim for

carbon neutral lives etc…). The world in 2030 is largely seen as more efficient and

many time saving devices will be used in the home to eradicate dull repetitive

jobs e.g. house work androids, coupled with smart self-cleaning homes will

reduce the need for housework and cleaning.

Positively, our standard of living should improve and our homes will run more

smoothly. Various initiatives will make life easier and free people up from

mundane household tasks e.g. shopping and housework. Advancements in how

we live will make it possible for older people to live in their own homes for longer

and people with disabilities will be supported to be more independent. However,

on a negative note, people expressed fear that we could become lazy and

dependent on machines. We could interact less with people and become more

housebound.

“Houses are going to become smaller for a start…there’s too much

population, the population is growing too fast and they’re not making

much land anymore… so the houses are going to become smaller, taller

and more like apartments than the individual three bedroom house with a

front and back garden”. (Ireland, Group 4)

“I think everything we use in the house at the moment will be connected.

Like in some way there’ll be some massive portal thing where you can

switch on different lights in different rooms or you know, they’re all

connected in some way. You’d probably be connected to whatever device

that you have, like somebody saying you can turn the lights on when

you’re away on holidays or something”. (Ireland, Group 1)

Health and healthcare

Throughout the groups participants noted how we will all probably live longer with

medical advancements and the potential impact this will have on society. There is

a strong assumption that we should have access to cheaper, better, medical

advice and procedures. It raised the question of how we will survive and whether

we have enough resources to manage this population spike. People are fearful as

to the impact on pensions, wages and the economy and whether we are equipped

to handle more people living longer. They questioned the ethics of certain medical

advancements (particularly IVF and cloning) and the future impact this could

have on society.

“They offered to freeze her umbilical cord for each child, apparently there

are all these stem cells in it so if the children do get sick, now it is very

expensive, it is about €1,500 per child. She has it for her 3 children so if

they God forbid had cancer, they can take the stem cells out of this. It is

not really well broadcasted but it is being offered right now”. (Ireland,

Group 4)


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Ubiquitous communication and interaction All acknowledged the progress and speed of change with the internet and how we

communicate with people. There have been fundamental changes regarding

communication over the last 15 years and human behaviour has significantly

changed in this arena; we have access to news 24/7, the web makes all

information accessible and the world is a much smaller place.

However, this progress is actively partnered with fear and anxiety regarding our

personal freedom and the access to all our personal data as a matter of record.

Participants are fearful of being constantly tracked and monitored, with little to no

regard for an individual’s privacy. As a nation of “talkers”, participants are

concerned that we will no long chat and communicate with one another face-to-

face and human interaction will lose its personal dimension. As our houses

become more self-contained there is a fear that we won’t leave them and people

will become more isolated as a result. This could lead to an increase in anti-social

behaviour and less of a community/neighbourly feel. Companies will become

more ‘faceless’ and humans will be replaced, losing jobs and potential income

with no customer service dimension and a more “impersonal” society as a result.

We could become over-reliant on technology and over time computers will “out-

smart” us and out think us. Fears are expressed concerning ‘nano-technology’

and the negative affect this could have, as many do not fully understand it and

are frightened of the possibilities this could create in the wrong hands.

“There’s technology out there that’s gathering information about you all

the time, It’s looking to hone in on what you like and where you spend

your time and what you do with your money. And so what they’ll do is

they’ll target people that have spent a certain amount…they’ll target what

they want and they will annoy you more. You’re just going to be pestered

and pestered with advertising. And people are just trying to make money

off you”. (Ireland, Group 2)

Environment

The majority are optimistic that recycling will be par for the course on all

household waste and sources of renewable energy will be more available. Both

water and food is going to become increasingly scarce and will have to be

managed differently and we will have to adapt our behaviour and how we

consume natural resources accordingly. Food is a worry and people expressed

concern as to what our food production will be like, will all food be genetically

modified and who will be in control of food production ultimately. Participants are

actively afraid about climate change and the impact on the environment. They

maintained that the weather will be more volatile, with crop shortages and

fundamental negative changes to natural habitats will occur. They worry that big

business and Governments are not supporting the environment in an active way

and this will ultimately hamper progress in this area.

“I think there’s no money in saving the environment but there’s money in

chopping it down to make things or to make medicines, I just can’t see

Governments, there’s too much corruption….if you’re going to make money

from something you’re only going to live for 70 years of whatever, you’re

going to be gone, you’re not going to see the negative consequences”. (Ireland,

Group 2)


16

“40 thousand cars per day being sold in China alone. The Western world is

paying lip service to reductions in emissions but you can’t stop a developing

country like India or China and tell them to stop what they’re doing…..it’s only

the environment and our planet that is at risk”. (Ireland, Group 4)


17

III. REACTIONS TO FUTURE SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATIONS IN SELECTED AREAS

The main objective of present qualitative Eurobarometer study was to test some

innovations that could be applied 15 years from now in the everyday life of

European citizens in four selected areas:

Homes and living,

Health and healthcare,

Ubiquitous communication and interaction,

The Environment.

A scenario related to each theme and introducing possible innovations was

submitted during the focus-groups in order to understand participants’

preferences and reactions in this regard.

This chapter focuses on participants’ reactions to the four scenarios and deals,

among others, with the following elements: how did they feel about each

particular scenario and the possible innovations they contained? What did they

like or dislike? How acceptable were the scenarios, what barriers did they see

arising from these and what other alternatives did they see for the future in each

area.

3.1 Homes and living

Spontaneous impressions are quite mixed with older participants more fearful and

negative in the main due to the potential loss of self-regulation, independence

and choice. Concerns are immediately expressed regarding the lack of privacy

and control. If a machine (PRA) is doing everything for you, you are no longer in

control and it could impact your physical and mental health to become this

dependent. The idea that an outside company will hold all your private data and

details is not appealing for the majority. All acknowledged that depending on your

life stage and how busy you are, will drive ultimate appeal and need for these

initiatives. The scenario feels quite far-fetched and incredible; many queried

whether these advances would be feasible in 15 years and whether they will be

able to afford it. The majority personalise the robot and felt it would be an

invasion of privacy to have another “person” living with you in your home.

Key words and associations that emerged upfront included the following and

tended to bias towards the negative initially:

Lazy

Dependent

Invasion of privacy

Ludicrous

Lack of control

Expensive

Convenient

Time saving

Efficient

“What am I going to do with my brain – if there’s somebody there doing

my shopping, taking down what I need…what do I need my brain for. It

would be total laziness; you’d end up being like a beetroot or a cabbage”

(Ireland, Group 4)


18

However, on a more detailed individual review participants noted the key

elements that appealed including:

Energy Meter telling you the amount of energy you are using

Home insulation

PRA filling you in on relevant information – news and weather

Security aspect of having PRA in the house

Smart fridge

Overall the elements that participants liked focus on the time saving and

efficiency that a robot could bring to your day-to-day existence (especially

younger with families who find life too busy). It can be a handy reminder of the

small tasks that can be forgotten and take up precious time. Furthermore, older

people could clearly benefit from these initiatives and those with special needs or

disabilities.

“Say you have 3 small children and you’re out in the morning. PRA is

going to sort out your shopping, do the house…say you and your partner

won’t be home until 8 that evening, then PRA is ideal. It totally depends

on what stage you’re at in your life “. (Ireland, Group 4)

The key aspects that participants disliked were how lazy we would all become and

that we could get very dependent on a machine doing everything for us. All query

the cost and how prohibitive it would be. They assumed PRA would be very

expensive and only wealthy people would benefit from this innovation. Strong

assumption that you are no longer in control and you will lose your independence.

Most did not like the thought of an outside company holding all your data

externally, as it raises fears around data security, privacy and a loss of individual

freedom. A key stumbling block appears to be PRA and the physical manifestation

of a robot living in your home with you and your family. The majority suggested

that a fully “smart home” fulfilling these functions via a central control panel or

App would be more appealing. Critical barriers that would need to be overcome

focus on the psychological and cultural barriers of such a step change in

behaviour by having a robot living in your home completing these tasks.

“I don’t want to be ruled by a robot…I want that choice myself. You’re

cutting the link with people – do you want a relationship with a robot or a

person. You’re not in a relationship with a robot” (Ireland, Group 4)

Most are not surprised at the specific innovations described in the scenario – they

maintained that a lot of what is detailed already occurs and we are only a step

away from most of these initiatives. However, PRA is the one area that they feel

is unbelievable and potentially unobtainable for most people, due primarily to

expense. Fear emerged as a key concern; fear that we will lose personal privacy.

being monitored on a constant basis and the potential cost.

Specific Innovation Overall Appeal Key Barriers Overcoming


19

Barriers

PRA: personal assistant (planning,

personal messages, weather forecast…)

Strong – seen as practical and useful.

Already occurs and one touchpoint would create efficiency

None N/A

PRA: personalised assistance in executing 'household chores'

(cleaning of the house…)

Mixed – younger like this better

Older struggle with being made redundant – cultural

barrier at play

Older unlikely to accept this as perceived need

is low

PRA: keeps a complete memory/ recording of home events

Weak – few perceive the need for this

Unsure how appropriate this is and how it would work in reality – psychological barrier

emerges

If you have full control and only you can access then it becomes more acceptable

all data stored by the Robot

in his memory are kept on-line at the company’s data servers (in case he breaks down)

Weak -none like the

concept of data being kept off-site

Potential for personal

data to be abused, hacked and stolen – psychological and cultural barriers emerge

If data kept on-

site this could work, off-site component is the main barrier

Smart fridge that warns you when you run out of food

Strong (especially among younger cohort) See this as

very similar to online shopping that they currently do

Some older participants don’t like the idea of something

external making choices on your behalf, removes spontaneity and impulse purchase

As long as you have the ultimate

say/choice then it could be adapted to work

Home delivery of goods by drones

Strong (especially among Younger

target)

None for younger, but older struggle with

humans losing jobs to drones

Replacing people with drones and

potentially jobs is problematic

Coated glass that automatically darkens to block excess sunlight

Strong – seen as practical and a positive initiative

None N/A

Smart meters connected to a

smart power grid (power company monitors your exact electricity consumption; example: charges you less for consumption during off-peak times…)

Strong – seen as

practical and a positive initiative

None N/A

In addition to the initiatives discussed participants push the idea further and

would like a fully smart home that goes into “standby” whenever you leave,

thereby saving energy consumption and bills. Across the groups the issue of

water consumption emerged, all would hope to see more innovation in this arena

with a home that monitors your water usage and automatically pipes in water for

drinking, versus secondary uses. The smart fridge concept could be dialled up

further and could monitor the nutrition of your food intake and make healthy

recipe suggestions and menu planning as an additional extra. Many assumed that

this style of living will bring enhanced security to your home and that a more

smart home could be particularly useful for people with mobility issues and

elderly people who live alone.


20

“Or if they suggested recipes based on what’s in your fridge you know,

things that you wouldn’t think of making that would be really cool and

email me and said tonight you have this in your fridge you could make

this. Or moving around and told you how to do it while you were cooking

it. That would be good. Or you’re leaving that too long come on hurry up

and turn it over. (Ireland, Group 1)

3.2 Health and healthcare

There were polar opposite first impressions from the younger and older group

participants when the scenario was read aloud by the moderator. On initial

reaction, the younger group were very impressed and very positively disposed to

this scenario. They felt positively overwhelmed by the innovations that were

mentioned. There were no negative spontaneous mentions. This was in stark

contrast with how those in the older groups reacted. These groups had mixed

feelings about this scenario and whilst some felt it was in overview quite positive,

half did feel that this scenario was negatively charged i.e. too impersonal, in need

of face-to-face contact with a doctor and trust was an issue.

“I like that it’s proactive rather than reactive and they’re not throwing

antibiotics at you like most doctors do these days, they’re finding out what

could possibly go wrong in the future and telling you how to steer away

from that. I think it’s really good.” (Group 1, Ireland)

“Very impersonal, very non-human, I don’t like them, just impersonal.”

(Group 6, Ireland)

All participants, young and old, were in unanimous agreement in relation to the

supermarket connection with health and medical issues. They felt this was not a

good fit and struggled to comprehend how they would ever see the two knit

together to provide such an important service. There were some who felt that

medical services would be provided very much like how the scenario had read but

felt it would not be alongside the Supermarket. Some older participants

attempted to make it fit by re-framing the scenario to include a medical centre

where face-to-face contact with medical professionals was available.

Words used to best describe their general feelings about the scenario were:

Optimistic and impressive – the younger participants were more impressed

by the speed at which tests and results could be done. Doing this

electronically was also a plus factor.

Credible – younger and some older participant felt this was the next logical

step in medical appointments with their GPs.

Positive – would forego any privacy concerns if it meant that they could

find out an illness that they might have which could be prevented if

treated in time after a quick diagnosis. Participants were of the opinion

that health comes first over privacy.

Amazingly advanced – felt this scenario was a fantastic use of their time

management. In an era where time is precious and everyone is extremely

busy the participants were pleased to see that their time (and the doctor’s

time) would not be wasted.

Room for error – due to the lack of human contact. Older participants

struggled to see a future where this scenario could exist successfully or fit

their needs.


21

Far-fetched – older participants more so than the younger participants

thought this was an invasion of privacy and so would not happen for this

reason.

Once the participants read the scenario themselves there was a general

consensus amongst the younger groups that this was a realistic situation that will

happen. Some of the younger group felt there was a dis-connect between the

medical arena and the supermarket whilst others in the younger group still felt

this was a good fit and of the opinion that ultimately there will be a by-law that

demands that supermarkets inform customers when they are buying too many

sugar items.

“I’d say in fifteen years the supermarkets will probably be kind of

by law obliged to tell you these things, you can’t sell too much

sugar to one person”. (Group 1, Ireland)

Those in the younger groups did feel that older people would be the demographic

who would struggle the most in terms of not accepting a scenario such as this.

“I think a lot of older people will probably think it’s a step too far. I think

the younger generation would be more inclined to be happy with it.”

(Group 1, Ireland)

“My children might find that more accepting that I would.” (Group 3,

Ireland)

Some older participants got too distracted by the supermarket association and

felt very uneasy with this fit. Many of them felt very cynical towards it and

thought it was a marketing ploy to make money.

“No but they’re probably going to suggest an alternative, obviously,

they’re there to make money. That’s their business and you shouldn’t be

eating these products. But perhaps you should consider these because

these don’t contain sugar. We’re very cynical.” (Group 6, Ireland)

Overall all of the groups liked aspects of this scenario. They particularly liked

being able to have diseases or illnesses predicted, having analysis done on their

bloods and instantaneous results.

Another aspect that older participants liked was being able to receive test results

virtually. For them this meant they did not have to go into the surgery and be

exposed to germs from ill patients in the doctor’s surgery.

“I like the fact when you do get the test, the idea of communicating with a

virtual doctor. Rather than going to a surgery because now I can do it at

my own time. In my own home, rather than sitting around picking up all

kinds of germs from somebody else.” (Group 6, Ireland)

Concern felt by some of the older participants that this scenario might

discriminate in favour of the wealthy or those with private health insurance

versus those who do not. Younger participants had more practical concerns i.e.

what is the protocol if the chip that monitors sugar levels stops working or needs

to be updated? How are they notified? They wanted to be informed as to who will

be prompted if there is a malfunction.


22

“What if the chip failed though like how would you know? Would it come

up on say your laptop or maybe on the doctor’s computer? Or what if it

just stopped working and you thought you were fine and you had this chip

and then ten years later you realise you’ve got some serious condition and

your chip wasn’t working the whole time.” (Group 1, Ireland)

The younger participants would need a lot of technical information that answered

their questions before buying into this innovation. They liked it and were not

discouraged by the futuristic nature of it – they would need more rational

information to understand fully how it works.

Both young and older participants equally did not like the video call with a doctor

but for two different reasons. For some of the older participants they naturally

want a face-to-face meeting with their doctor, this is what they have been used

to. They felt the video link far-fetched and impersonal and could not imagine this

kind of innovation being successful. They likened this with self-diagnosing

themselves from the internet because they don’t have that one to one, physical

conversation.

Again with the younger participants it was more to do with the practicality of it as

opposed to wanting a face-to-face meeting. They felt that there are some times

when a patient will need a face-to-face meeting

“I think the video call with the doctor would have to be, in, only some

situations like, because most, a lot of the time you would need to see the

doctor in person. It could be definitely cheaper than going to the office

though…” (Group 1, Ireland)

The stem cell therapy felt like a new innovation for the younger participants but

for the older participants it did not feel new. They felt they could provide

examples of current procedures in place that were a version of the scenarios

assessed. For example taking their own blood tests and placing the blood sample

in a machine that reads the blood.

“The Stem cell….that they can cure it. Because if they’re saying possibly

they can cure that what else would they be curing then, that would be

pretty amazing.” (Group 1, Ireland)

('Over the counter') Genetic tests

All of the younger participants liked the sound of this innovation because they felt

it gave them the control as opposed to the medical profession. It also appealed

for the majority of the older participants. Those who did not like it, felt that if the

genetic tests showed positive signs of a heredity illness that the person would

need counselling and not a DIY test.

“I know if you do go for those tests in Crumlin, or wherever it is you do.

You have to have counselling before you get the results. So I don’t see

how you could do that over the counter really.“(Group 6, Ireland)


23

Dietary advice for disease prevention

The majority of both younger and older participants liked the sound of this

innovation. The idea of being able to prevent an illness from happening spoke

volumes to all of the groups.

“I think prevention is huge. If you can prevent these things from

happening then that’s great. If we can see it coming and then stop it.”

(Group 1, Ireland)

(Wearable) biochips for health monitoring and diagnosis

This innovation had strong appeal, regardless of age. Many note how this

technology (e.g. jawbone) is available in a less sophisticated format and it is

feasible that this will occur in the future. The practical application of such an

innovation is queried with some concerns expressed regarding functionality and if

the biochip breaks down.

Centralised Health data records

Again this innovation was well liked by the majority especially the younger

participants because they felt that ultimately this will be of benefit to the majority.

Among the older groups some queried the innovation due to the issue of privacy

and personal data. They were concerned over their personal information being

stolen.

Medical consultations made from your home: Doctor consults/advices

you from your home ('tele medicine')

After much debate this innovation was positively received by all of the groups and

all gave it 7 out of 8. For the minority, they preferenced the traditional route to

the doctors i.e. face-to-face, as this is what they are used to. Those who did

endorse it did so unanimously because they felt it made sense and it would save

them time. They felt they could also escape any colds and flu’s that were active in

society (especially where immune systems are poor).

Stem cell therapy (for organ repair)

Unanimously all of the groups scored this innovation 8 out of 8. All participants

felt this was an amazing innovation and one that they would gladly welcome.

“Monitoring things like you know, cholesterol or something like that you

could prevent things like stroke. You know the way you could have a

blockage in your artery or something or you mightn’t know that was

building up and then people might have a stroke or a heart attack. If they

could monitor something like that”. (Ireland, Group 1)

“You can have a vaccination against cervical cancer and stuff like that so

maybe in fifteen years it will be, you can get a vaccination maybe to try

and prevent cancer and other diseases”. (Ireland, Group 1)


24

3.3 Ubiquitous communication and interaction

First impressions on hearing the scenario are horror – amongst both older and

younger groups but marginally less so amongst the younger group. What initially

frightens the participants is the holographic calls – the younger participants saw

this as too invasive and ridiculous, whereas other younger participants saw that

holographic calling was a natural step to what society are doing i.e. video

conferencing. At a first impression and after discussions amongst themselves they

could see some positives from holographic calling such as more personal calling,

ability to read body language (especially for work related calls) and the visual

effect. They felt it is not something that could happen in the near future but

agreed that this was something that will happen further down the line.

“But it’s only a step away from video conference, it’s not a leap away but

like it’s still…Yeah teleconferencing is horrible, everyone is always

interrupting each other and stopping and saying no you go on, it’s easier

to interact with. You can’t tell what their reaction is as well.

With hand gestures or there’s visual cues to a conversation as well that’s

missing from a phone call.” (Group 2, Ireland)

A minority of participants assumed that the concept of facial recognition

technology was already in place. Targeted marketing via GPS e.g. shops are

sending text messages if a person is in close proximity – this shopper will receive

a text inviting to enter the shop and peruse the contents and maybe include a

discount for enticement.

A mixed reaction after the first reading from the various groups. Words that were

used to best describe how they felt about the scenario were:

Scary, robotic – older participants more so felt that this scenario described a

world where humans and human interaction was limited. Instead everyone

commutes and shops via robotic devices.

Interesting – there was a divide between the groups in terms of those who

thought this was interesting. For those who did not it was fear more so than

interest.

Privacy invasion, Big Brother – felt they were constantly going to be

watched and monitored. Both young and old participants felt that the satellite,

sensor and camera monitoring was a step too far and not the way they would

envisage their world to move towards. Participants from both younger and

older groups had the same fear that when found guilty of one thing that this

person would be ‘tagged’ for life and no hope of redemption. On the positive

side younger participants felt that whilst society might be tracked this would

help in finding people who went missing or disappeared. It is assumed that

parents of young children could find this very appealing.

Invasive, the future – as mentioned participants were divided about the

holographic element up front and some found it forward thinking and agreed

that this was going to be the natural next step in communication not only for

personal use but also from a work perspective too. Others felt that this might

be a bit invasive and would take time to get accustomed to.


25

Pressure to purchase – the older participants appeared to have more of an

issue at first with the shopping element of this scenario and felt this would not

work for them. Felt the only winners from this innovation were shop and

brand owners as they stood to benefit most from the loyalty programmes and

social media feeds.

Knowledge is power – they felt that this scenario captured a lot of personal

information about people. A question arose as to who owns all of this

information? Who benefits from this information? They were not happy about

handing over more personal data from a security point of view and not

knowing who will be in receipt of this.

Nanny state – felt too much like a policed society and too far removed from

current society i.e. the satellites, sensors and cameras linking up with the

insurance company. Once this element of the conversation was over the

participants did like the fact that with monitoring on the roads there would be

less deaths and they felt this was a positive outcome.

After reading and absorbing the detail in the scenario themselves participants

from both age profiles felt that the technology used in these innovations are

currently in use in today’s world. They were not surprised by it even though they

felt it sounded futuristic at first, the innovations were perceived as being realistic.

“I think it is slowly happening at the moment. If we are talking 15 years

down the road then definitely yeah. In 15 years we will all have electric

cars. It will all happen so gradually, bit by bit, I will look back and I will be

55 then go – oh my God when I was 40 we talked about this.” (Group 3,

Ireland)

“A lot of the technology exists in some manner out there already, it just

hasn’t been rolled out. You have facial recognition software, you have GPS,

you have trackers, you can predict crowd control….they already use that

to design stadiums in New York when it empties, they have to design the

subway system so it can cope with that volume of people. So virtually

everything there is in some embryonic stage at least.” (Group 2, Ireland)

All of the groups liked the innovations that assisted in solving crime. Felt that

GPS tracking and satellites played a key role in preventing crime (fear of being

caught) and indeed solving crime after the fact. They felt it might help in

making crime obsolete in certain cases. The younger participants didn’t mind

being tracked as much as the older groups, as they felt that they have nothing

to hide.

“And for solving crimes, if someone says they’re in a certain place at a

certain time…you can prove it, would be so much easier, someone’s

missing, find them in a second.” (Group 2, Ireland)

Older participants raised more concern regarding tracking. They compared it with

the film ‘The Minority Report’ and were concerned over what would happen if the

satellites and cameras got something wrong (e.g. identical twins, triplets etc.)?

How could they get around these anomalies? All of the groups were concerned

about the fact that if a person is tagged because of a misdemeanour and

monitored thereafter then what was the appropriate length of time before being

de-tagged and allowed back into society where this person could live freely

without being monitored? They felt this area was a open to interpretation.


26

Younger participants thought the holograms were amazing (on review) and

could see how they would integrate this into their daily lives. The older

participants in the groups were divided by the hologram. Those that liked the

innovation liked it because it felt more tangible than a phone call to a friend or

family member living thousands of miles away and some described it as a

‘virtual hug’.

“Instead of looking at them on the screen and going god he’s gotten big.

To actually see him there, say your nephew or grandson….you can see

how tall he is and you go, God he’s big and see him move around.” (Group

6, Ireland)

In relation to the shopping malls and facial recognition tracking of customers the

older participants did not think this would happen for a number of reasons; firstly

that facial coding was not accurate and secondly that shops will not want to

spend the money that is needed for such sophisticated technology. However they

felt that there already was an iteration of this initiative currently in place via

loyalty cards and ‘suggested posts’ on facebook.

“They already kind of do that anyway on facebook… Or on Amazon, if you

go into Amazon and you’re looking at things, the next time you’re up on

facebook, you have your side bar, they’re throwing up a couple of ads.”

(Group 6, Ireland)

Younger participants were also aware of being tracked online (via cookies etc.)

but were aware that some online shops were more sophisticated than others and

were very much monitoring the shoppers habits, purchase history. This was

particularly evident in online betting emporiums.

The participants struggled to comprehend how shopping malls could introduce

facial coding and did not think this would be easily accepted by society in general.

The younger participants agreed and felt it was an innovation for the sake of

using new technology and did not see the real benefit for society. They thought

the only benefit was a commercial one and in the end would aggravate shoppers.

“But it might increase just mindless consumerism. You know if you walk in

and you want to buy something specific and then you’re just bombarded

with 5 other things you don’t really need but, like the IKEA affect, you go

to IKEA to buy a set of coasters and you come out with god knows how

much other stuff that you don’t really need.” (Group 2, Ireland)

The groups were divided in opinion about driving being tracked in society and

how this would influence insurance premiums. The older participants were against

this level of tracking. They felt it was a marketing ploy and only commercial

entities would gain. They felt that if this innovation were to be introduced that

insurance providers would look for proof of ‘good driving’ and this monitored

behaviour would be the only acceptable proof making it quite difficult to obtain

reasonable quotas. They are concerned that this innovation would cost them

more money. Some older participants felt this was already in place via penalty

points earned by individual drivers.

Younger participants on the other hand felt this innovation was a more fair and

reasonable way of representing society. They felt those who deserve to be

rewarded with lower premiums will receive these when they prove they are good

drivers.


27

“I think there’s a great element of fairness in that, that if you’re a safe

driver automatically you’re going to be rewarded….whereas you see a lot

of people getting off with stuff and the whole, females getting cheaper

insurance than men based on a stereotype. I think in the interest of

fairness, I think that would be good.” (Group 2, Ireland)

Ubiquitous tracking of machines and people with satellites, trackers and

cameras

Overall appeal of the initiative is weak due to the impact it will have on personal

privacy. Participants maintained that privacy was their right and this was being

taken away from them, that they had no control over their personal self and

thought this was intrusive and unnecessary. Younger participants were a little

less severe in their opinion and could see some potential positives to this

innovation such as solving crime and missing person’s whereabouts.

(Facial) recognition technology

This innovation lacked appeal as participants were concerned over their personal

privacy and their right to be alone. The older participants thought there was an

element of this innovation being done already, so they are aware of it but do not

endorse it. The younger participants did feel that the facial recognition technology

could have a positive aspect in being able to help with missing persons and crime.

Data collection about personal preferences, used by companies

Participants felt that they submit to this technology already via store loyalty cards

and online shopping so personal data and shopping behaviour is currently trended

and monitored.

Virtual reality

The majority of all of the groups liked this innovation the best. Younger

participants liked this one because they saw opportunities to learn new things

where the older participants liked this innovation to keep in touch with faraway

friends and family or for work purposes (e.g. conferences etc.).

“Like educating yourself, you know say there’s a way it teaches you how

to build a table and there’s a hologram that can tell you exactly what to

put where, you know.” (Group 2, Ireland)

“Some of the things, the pieces of technology on their own are quite useful,

and beneficial but I think the overall tone of it is unsettling. So what

they’re talking about seems far too open to abuse. You know this will be

implemented by stages. And if you start to have this tracking and facial

recognition become ubiquitous. That you know they can start to extend it

to other crimes or patterns of behaviour. And it becomes very controlled

and locked down. You know in a matter of years”. (Ireland, Group 2)

“If you go home every evening from work and you could take a walk

around anywhere, an archaeological site that you’re interested in or the

pyramids or you know wherever it might be. You can go and you can

explore them in your living room, you know what I mean, a virtual tourism

or something like that. Because like you’re not going to get to see all the

places that you want to see. (Ireland, Group 2)


28

3.4 Environment

On first glance participants are very positive about the innovations contained in

the Environment scenario, however many maintain these are unrealistic and

unlikely to be achieved in the next 15 years. They contend that there is a lack of

political will to bring these initiatives to life due to the potential impact on big

business and the commercial fall out. First impressions focussed on the following:

Great

Wonderful

Amazing

Reassuring

Bliss

Very optimistic

BUT……

Unrealistic

Unobtainable

What we want but can we ever achieve this?

No political will to do this on a mass scale

Far fetched

Expensive

Confusing

The key element that emerges is fear, as this felt quite scary and beyond their

comprehension. Participants don’t believe that they are equipped with the

knowledge they need to fully assess or evaluate this on a critical level. They are

anxious that it will cost a lot of money to implement and do we know enough to

be able to do this currently.

“The aspirations are good, that they’re trying to bring the carbon dioxide

levels back to whatever nominal level they should be but I think the

method is risky. So it’s like making this massive jail for carbon and if

there’s any kind of earth quake or anything goes wrong, it potentially

ruptures and it all is released in one big whack, at a later date, I think it’s

like storing nuclear waste in these concrete vaults but it will eventually

find its way out, it’s going to be flawed. (Ireland, Group 2)

Key areas of note that captured their imagination initially included the water

system (hot topic in Ireland right now due to the water charges), waste reduction,

usage of raw materials and better framing practises. Many felt they understood

these elements better and could grapple with the logic. However, the carbon

release into the sky was universally disliked and seen as a step too far. All raised

the challenge that there is no political will to make these changes, big business

have vested interests in maintaining the status quo and are more interested in

short term gains rather than long term benefits for the health of the planet. It

will be necessary to fundamentally alter human behaviour to instigate this level of

mass change and people will need to be either incentivised or punished to get

them to adopt or accept these type of initiatives. They assumed there will be a

large cost entailed in these type of innovations and they worry as to who will foot

the bill and pay for this level of investment.

“I think it’s how we live and consume, this didn’t explore how we might

change our patterns of living. So as well as houses that produce energy

and recycling waste, it’s also how we buy and what we buy, if you cut out

eating meat it massively reduces greenhouse gas as well so there’s

changes in patterns of consumption. (Ireland, Group 2)


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On a more considered view of the scenario and when each participant did their

own individual evaluation, a more positive assessment emerged. On the whole

participants were happy and accepting of key innovations including;

the use of small scale renewable energy (promoted self-sufficiency,

controls costs and could provide a boost for the economy),

improved water usage and water system (very current for the Irish

audience

recycling materials (waste not want not, fits with our philosophy and

current thinking about the environment)

farm management (has to change and this feels like a movement in the

right direction)

Elements of the farm management innovation were queried and the replacement

of humans by machines or satellites did not sit comfortably with the majority of

participants. However, other aspects were clearly liked e.g. increased safety of

food production, less waste and using less chemicals/machines is positive. As

noted before, participants are fearful of the impact on food production and what

type of food will be produced as an end result. They are anxious that mass food

production on a large scale could result in poor quality, GM foods rather than a

focus on healthy, natural, fresh food.

“I don’t see how a satellite in the sky is going to work, if you have a 100

sheep lambing or something, and one is in trouble, you sit there waiting

for your satellite to go off and then you sprint out, it could be too late. I

just don’t think there is a substitute for human interaction for certain parts

of this, just I’d say even milking cows, how would that happen?”. (Ireland,

Group 2)

The main area, where participants struggled was with the CO2 and ocean floor

innovation. They found it too novel and were uncomfortable with the prospect of

changing a natural habitat on such a large scale. They did not understand the

science behind it and were anxious that it was detailed as a ‘short term measure’.

What if this went wrong? Not happy with the idea of it being a stop gap and the

disruption it could cause to the ocean floor and marine life raised immediate

concerns.

“OK so we think we’re bettering the world and that could have huge

changes down below that we’re not going to be aware of as in we get

antibiotics and we got super bugs right…. so you put CO2 down how that

affects the atmosphere, how that effects the atmosphere up above – it’s

like how much you can take away so we’re playing with stuff too much –

then what happens underneath whether the fish life or food life or

whatever changes down there and what happens with that – we don’t

know how that would pan out”. (Ireland, Group 4)

“Just sounds very artificial, I don’t know, again I just don’t know enough

about it but surely your causing a lot of disruption to the ocean and the

animals, you’d have a lot of backlash probably, like while drilling or that

kind of thing, what if there was an accident and I don’t know, like an oil

spill, like the equivalent or whatever. I don’t know”. (Ireland, Group 2)


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Specific Innovation Overall Appeal Key Barriers Overcomin

g Barriers

(Most energy is derived from)

renewable energy like solar

panels and wind farms

Strong None N/A

Energy efficiency: energy

efficient homes and cities

Strong None N/A

Recycling of materials and

natural resources

(building/construction

materials, water…)

Medium (some query the quality of the material)

Reassuring that the material is fit for purpose

– cultural barrier

Education and information

needed

Recycling of waste

Strong None N/A

Conversion of waste into value-

added by products (ex. Bio

refineries turning agricultural

residues into plastic and fuel)

Medium (query whether plastic is appropriate)

Reassuring that this is a better option – cultural barrier

Education

New farming management

practices in agriculture

(minimum inputs/monitoring of

crops and cattle with high-

resolution satellites and

sensors)

Medium (older query how

practical/ desirable this is)

Replacing humans with

machines and doing farmers out of jobs – psychological

barrier

Better education

and understanding of what exactly is

involved.

Geo Engineering

Weak – did not appeal across the

board

Potential impact on the ocean

creates strong anxiety

Challenging arena with many feeling

this is not desirable


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IV. CONCLUSION

On review, most claim to feel more positive on the whole when reflecting on the

discussions. The scenarios and examples used are good for focussing the mind

and suggesting potential innovations. Overall people are excited about future

developments and how technical innovation will help us lead longer, healthier

lives that reduce our impact on the environment. Key areas that have a positive

influence include the environment and healthcare initiatives that benefit the

majority, change behaviour for the better and help us live more responsible lives.

Many feel less negative about potential progress in these key areas, as they see

the impact on older people and maintain it has to improve their standard of living.

Younger people are more accepting of the initiatives overall and believe that a lot

of this innovation is underway already.

Progress and advancements regarding communication could be challenging if not

sensitively handled. Those innovations that have a more negative feedback are in

the arena of communications and housing, perhaps because of the more direct

impact on the personal private individual. There are clear concerns regarding the

privacy of personal data and the potential for this to be used against the

individual.

There has been huge societal change over the last 15 years and there is concern

that we maintain control and apply ethical thinking to progress. It will be

important that wide spread change and advances are applied equally and felt by

the majority and not just the privileged few. The area of mass food production

and manufacture raises concerns, who regulates this and will ensure that the food

we are eating is fit for purpose. Having the ability to opt in and out of initiatives

and operate self-regulation will be critical. Maintaining choice and flexibility is

essential and ensuring that not everyone is forced to advance at the same pace

or in a way that moves them out of their comfort zone will help uptake and

positivity towards innovation moving forward.

PUBLIC OPINION ON FUTURE INNOVATIONS, SCIENCE AND...

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