Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) is too often no more than a cryptic acronym to many in European research circles. It is at times not quite clear how to implement it. Now, thanks to the results of the RRI Tools project, an RRI Toolkit is about to be launched this week. Don’t hold back and feel free to explore all the available options. Read more […]
The drivers leading to responsible research and innovation are poorly understood. Now, empirical work done in the EU project “Governance of Responsible Innovation” (GREAT) has investigated the factors influencing the uptake of responsible research aspects in EU-funded research and innovation using an agent-based simulation approach to analyse the impact of responsibility measures. Results reveal, for example, that the involvement of civil society organisations does not necessarily tilt the balance towards greater responsibility in research as initially thought. Instead, what appears to be of vital importance is the capability of any research partner to perform research responsibly. Read more […]
The dichotomy between research that aims at tackling specific societal challenges and blue sky research is not as wide as expected. A new Danish study on the impact of research funded by the last two framework programmes reveals that there may be no contradiction between research being challenge-oriented and being academically influential. This gives food for thought to steer future research policy. Read more […]
Scientists engaging with members of the public and other stakeholders have yet to gain recognition for doing so, as part of the career promotion criteria by which they will be evaluated. Yet, until such activity is better defined and further adopted by academic institutions, it is unlikely that further efforts would be devoted to raising the quality of these activities. In this opinion piece, based on the findings from research, Richard Holliman explains why. Read more […]
Welcome to this Special Issue of the EuroScientist dedicated to Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI). This issue outlines many facets of RRI. It also provides different perspectives on the topic, including historical, institutional, academic, and views of practitioners in the field. Read more […]
Welcome to this Special Issue of the EuroScientist dedicated to Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI). This issue outlines many facets of RRI. It also provides different perspectives on the topic, including historical, institutional, academic, and views of practitioners in the field. Read more […]
Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) encompasses a wide range of efforts. Their common objective is to tackle the grand societal challenges that Europe faces. To achieve this objective, the RRI strategy is to convey the processes of research and innovation towards socially desirable and acceptable solutions to these grand challenges. Read more […]
Responsible research and Innovation, or RRI, may not be well understood by some. Yet, what it means is: science policy should explicitly include society. It stems from the fact that resistance to technical progress has always existed, particularly when such new technology is disruptive. Those who, in the XIXth century, did not agree and contested the value of such progress were accused of adopting romantic attitudes, or of being irrational. Read more […]
RRI originates from European policy in the 2000s. It is part of on-going reflection on changing governance relations between research, innovation, and wider society. But more recently it has been addressed systematically beyond its origins in the philosophy of science by several academic fields and from several points of view. Most recently, it has also begun to form bridges and connections with other literatures coming from different directions such as corporate social responsibility, responsible innovation including steering towards societal challenges, responsible industry and innovation systems. But how strong is the connection between RRI and these related concepts? Read more […]
Science is not neutral. It can have both positive and negative consequences. Scientists increasingly have to face the ethical dilemma of the consequences of their research. And, thus, their responsibility in science governance. Examples from biotechnology, and nanotechnologies, show that the negotiation of responsibility between scientists and the outside world is still a crucial issue in modern research. Read more […]
Horizon 2020 has as a notable ambition to address grand societal challenges. It fits in Europe’s strategy for jobs and growth, called Europe 2020, where research and innovation play a key role. In this context, several questions have arisen. Read more […]
Research and innovation constantly change our world. From the Internet and mobile phones, to climate change and new cancer treatments, science and technology have the potential to transform our lives. These developments also create new risks and new ethical dilemmas. Responsible research and innovation (RRI) seeks to bring these issues into the open. It also aims to anticipate the consequences and directions of research and innovation. Read more […]
European science conversations by the community, for the community
