What's the English equivalent for the French expression "veille technologique"?

In French, the expression veille technologique means the act of following the current trends in technology. Is there such a phrase in English?

I can only think of expressions like keeping up to date or keeping current with technology, but find them too wordy and colloquial.

Solution 1:

The term appears to be technology watch:

Known as "technology watch", this essentially means gathering and analyzing technological information and using it to help grow your business. Technology watch also costs 5 to 25 times less than intensive internal research, especially when acquiring new equipment.

Originally applied only to technology, this practice (also called "competitive watch", "strategic watch" and "technology and standards watch") now also includes commercial and competitive environments, finance, and applicable laws and regulations. By using technology watch, you can keep an eye on markets and new innovations, both of which are critical to your company's success.

The ITU publishes technology watch reports. French sites using the term "veille technologique" appear to consider "technology watch" as the equivalent term in English.

Solution 2:

The term cutting edge is regularly used to indicate being attuned to the most advanced form of technology.

at the latest or most advanced stage of development; innovative or pioneering: cutting-edge technology

A related term, bleeding edge is often used to refer to technology that is even more advanced

the very forefront of technological development: [as modifier]: an architecture that many people believe is still too bleeding edge for large mission-critical systems

This may be used to describe technology that is innovative to the point that it is not fully refined or developed. The "injury" metaphor suggests that the adopter may suffer, either because she or he invest time, money in the trend that may not take firm root, or that the use is somewhat painful because it is being used before "the rough edges" have been polished off.

Solution 3:

You could say: to keep an eye on technology, as it appears that veille also stands for vigil, watch, and keep watch over. But a more idiomatic expression than technology watch, and less cliché than cutting edge, could be the: keep abreast of the times and its various forms.

Collins: up-to-date, as in ideas, fashions, etc.; modern
Word Reference thesaurus: up-to-date; informed; aware; modern; updated; in the know (slang); apprised; clued in (slang); clued up (slang); enlightened; well informed; to be abreast

There is no business in the world which can hope to move forward if it does not keep abreast of the times, look into the future and study the probable demands of the future.
_{Thomas J. Watson,Sr.}

keep abreast of to have the most recent information about something

• Keep Abreast of Emerging Technology Trends
• How do you keep abreast of changes in technology?
• Keeping Up With Technology: If you want to compete in todays business world, then, its important to keep up with technology in order to get the most out of the technology you have, to keep abreast of emerging new technology...
• With the explosion in event technology, savvy event and meeting planners realize the importance of keeping abreast of emerging technological trends and tools.
• Companies need to keep abreast of the latest technological innovations if they are to take advantage of new business opportunities…

stay abreast of to have the most recent information about something (TFD)

• Computing Survival Skills effectively addresses this need at the University of Virginia by training staff to stay abreast of technology.