Miriam Leis
Dr. Miriam Leis works as a researcher at TNO/IPg since May 2008, specialising in emerging technologies (e.g. NBIC, biomedical engineering, Human Enhancement Technologies (HET), advanced robotics and AI, synthetic biology), future issues (e.g. megatrends, weak signals, EFMN), ELSI/ELSA of emerging technologies and vision assessment and foresight methodology. Recent projects include “Robotics for Healthcare”, innovations for the food industry, “Megatrends”, technological innovations in various areas, ethical issues of synthetic biology and SESTI, Future of Learning and space and defence innovations. She studied political sciences (with specialisation in biopolitics) and sociology (specialization: sociology of technology) at University Konstanz (Germany) and got her PhD in sociology with an interdisciplinary thesis about non-industrial robots. Prior to TNO she worked as a researcher at University Duisburg-Essen and the German foresight consulting firm. Miriam Leis is also involved in the WFUNA Millennium project, European Foresight Networks and societal/ethical discussions about Human Enhancement Technologies.
Maurits Butter
Maurits Butter graduated at the faculty of chemical engineering at the Delft University of Technology. He started his career as an environmental consultant with Dutch consultancy firm Tebodin, where he was involved in the prevention of waste disposal and emissions. In 1994-1998 he worked for the Netherlands’ Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and Environment, department of Strategic Planning (VROM). In 1998 he joined TNO as senior advisor innovation policy. He is involved in the interface between technological innovation and policy, focussing on foresight studies and the non technological aspects of technological innovation. He is the coordinator of the European Foresight Monitoring Network and conducted several projects in the field of foresight such as the recent Defence Outlook and TNO-Innovation Benchmark. Currently he is involved as project leader of the Dutch Innovation Outlook.