Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) receives increasing significance as the European Union’s approach to good governance in research and innovation. The EU project PROSO addressed the question how to implement and foster societal engagement in research and innovation.
RRI seeks to align the processes and outcomes of research and innovation with the values, needs and expectations of the European society. Therefore, the engagement of all societal actors including civil society organizations (CSOs) and citizens is an important element of RRI. However, there is a lack of clarity about what societal engagement actually requires, and how it should be pursued. Accordingly, the PROSO project aimed at fostering early engagement and cooperation of CSOs and citizens under the terms of RRI in research and innovation systems in Europe.
What are requirements for societal engagement events under RRI? How to organise engagement processes in order to successfully include a broad variety of perspectives and worldviews? And how to integrate stakeholders’ and citizens’ views and recommendations in ongoing research and innovation processes? By identifying incentives, and barriers for societal engagement in research funding, research and innovation, PROSO aimed at fostering more effective ways to involve third-sector actors and citizens. The empirical analysis investigated three domains of research and innovation: nanotechnology, food and health, and bio-economy.
Based on these steps, PROSO developed options and recommendations for research funding and actors in research policy, such as research funding, how to ensure successful engagement of civil society organizations and citizens in research and innovation on national and European level. PROSO’s key insights were condensed in a policy and practice guide which includes:
-> Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) calls for continuous societal engagement.
-> Up until now, citizens and third sector actors are not routinely involved in the governance of research and innovation.
-> Citizens and third sector actors face specific barriers to engagement in research and innovation.
-> Policies and practices in support of societal engagement should address questions of relevance, impact, trust, knowledge and skills, time and financial resources, and legitimacy.
-> Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) fordert die kontinuierliche gesellschaftliche Beteiligung an Forschung und Innovation.
-> BürgerInnen und zivilgesellschaftliche Organisationen sehen sich mit spezifischen Hindernissen für die Beteiligung konfrontiert.
-> Politiken und Praktiken zur Unterstützung der gesellschaftlichen Beteiligung sollten sich mit Fragen der Relevanz, der Wirkung, des Vertrauens, des Wissens, der zeitlichen und finanziellen Ressourcen sowie der Legitimität befassen.
01/2016 - 02/2018