forecasting, technological

forecasting, technological. The forecasting of the future potential characteristics of a new or upgraded technology, device, procedure, or technique. A technology forecaster is generally called on to forecast the feasibility of a certain technology, not whether it will actually be developed, because that would depend on non-technological factors such as anticipated profitability and governmental regulations. Example: We might predict that a new chemical compound could be developed, but not whether it would be an effective and profitable drug.