The Scientific Advisory Board advises the Executive Committee on strategic and science policy matters. Both its President and members are elected by the General Meeting. Members of the Scientific Advisory Board must work or have worked professionally in an engineering or scientific occupation.

The Scientific Advisory Board supports the Secretariat in the early identification of major socio-political problems resulting from scientific and technological developments. Its members act as authors or links to experts for the development of products in the early identification sector, for example for the Technology Outlook publication.

The Scientific Advisory Board assigns special tasks to the Topical Platforms, manages their tasks and organisation and elects their Chairpersons. The Topical Platforms report to the Scientific Advisory Board on an annual basis.