An unfinished journey? Reflections on a decade of responsible research and innovation

Richard Owen, René von Schomberg and Phil Macnaghten

ABSTRACT
We reflect on a decade of Responsible Research and Innovation
(RRI) as a discourse emerging from the European Commission
(EC) 10 years ago. We discuss the foundations for RRI, its
emergence during the Seventh Framework programme and its
subsequent evolution during Horizon 2020. We discuss how an
original vision for RRI became framed around five so-called ‘keys’:
gender, open access, science communication, ethics and public
engagement. We consider the prospects for RRI within the
context of the EC’s Open Science agenda and Horizon Europe
programme, before closing with some reflections on the
contribution RRI has made to debates concerning the relationship
between science, innovation and society over the last decade.

OPEN ACCESS RESEARCH ARTICLE- Free dowload here:

https://app.box.com/s/njc05h5oih7nskwuzk8tzqzaxl5918kz

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Call for papers “Research Ethics: setting up frameworks to promote good practices

We are launching a new call for papers for the October 2022 (27.2) issue about “Research Ethics: Frameworks for promoting best research practices”.

Edited by Elsa González-Esteban (Universitat Jaume I), René Von Schomberg (European Comission/Technical University of Darmstadt) & Rosana Sanahuja  (Universitat Jaume I). 

Deadline date for proposals: 15 September 2021

Issue publication date: 1 October 2022

Languages: English, Spanish, Valencian.

Submit a manuscript: see instruction at the site of the Journal:

https://www.e-revistes.uji.es/index.php/recerca/announcement/view/152

Research practice, as an organised activity that pursues common goals and shares rules, values and processes, is under enormous pressure at the start of the 21st century due to contradictory demands of the research system.

On the one hand, researchers’ careers are determined by the number of publications and where they are published, rather than their contributions to socially relevant research missions. Research productivity is measured in numbers of publications rather than its relevant impact on society. The management of research performing organisations is often motivated by national or international rankings. Economic interests and publishing in high impact journals are drivers of research and are prioritised over establishing responsible research and innovation practices. 

On the other hand, some national and international political initiatives do promote research that addresses societal challenges such as the sustainable development goals. Equally, researchers are expected to meet high ethical standards in their research conduct, which covers aspects such as setting research agendas, publishing practices and outreach activities as well as ensuring the reproducibility of the data on which publications are based. 

Responsible research and innovation practices require multi-stakeholder governance structures, fostering open science and co-creation and co-design of research and innovation agendas aiming at socially desirable outcomes 

This monograph deals with the contradictory demands on the research system. The following themes will be covered:

– Ethics as a driver of responsible research and innovation. 

– The normative guidelines underpinning good open science practices.

– Research for public goods (e.g. vaccines, SDGs etc.).

– Knowledge production as public good vs. the trend to ‘commodify’ knowledge and closed science in the context of industrial research.

– Mechanisms for increasing research productivity in terms of addressing societal challenges rather than number of publications.

– Obstacles and incentives for establishing research ethics.

– Collective and shared responsibility in research processes.

– How to foster open science that is excellent, responsible and credible on the basis of scientific integrity.

– Ethical research and innovation governance. How to identify and implement normative governance structures for open science.

– How to promote principles of scientific integrity in research practices.

– Critical analyses of the current pressures on research systems. 

– The role of society, industry and politics in excellent/responsible research.

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Special Issue “Institutional Change for Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI)”

Special Issue “Institutional Change for Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI)”

Guest editors: Dr. Nhien Nguyen & Dr. Dr. phil. René von Schomberg  

Abstract (500 words max) deadline: 31/1/2021

Full paper (7000 words max) submission: 31/3 – 30/7/2021

https://www.emeraldgrouppublishing.com/journal/tlo/institutional-change-responsible-research-and-innovation

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Philosophy of Responsible Innovation 2021

Info/Registration on: https://www.ozsw.nl/activity/philosophy-of-responsible-innovation-2021/

 The Dutch Research School of Philosophy (OZSW), Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) and Wageningen University invite PhD students in philosophy to register for the course “Philosophy of Responsible Innovation” to take place from January 13th – 21st 2021

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Global Prospects and Perspectives on Responsible Research and Innovation

Joint our session at the 4S/EASST virtual conference on Tuesday 18 August 2020, 3pm (Central European Time) (full programme: https://www.easst4s2020prague.org/ )

Download Powerpoint on Institutional Change for RRI here: https://app.box.com/s/z4ty6dnv8e28ow6o1rjv2sjjopoi2oil

SESSION OVERVIEW

Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) reflects an innovation paradigm that acknowledges that market innovations do not automatically deliver on sociallly desirable objectives, and requires a broad governance of knowledge coalitions of governmental bodies and industrial and societal actors to address market deficits. The STS community has adopted responsible research and innovation as an important subject matter and have helped to bridge policy makers, practioners of technology assessment, ethicists and economists to work together to advance both theory and practice of responsible innovation as demonstrated by the numerous nationally and internationally funded research and innovation actions in this field
The session will take stock of the global prospects and perspectives on responsible research and innovation in China, Japan, Europe and the United States. It will explore and discuss both specific local challenges and challenges at the global and regional levels. Responsible Innovation will be understood as a new paradigm for innovation which requires institutional changes in the research and innovation system and the public governance of the economy. It also requires the institutionalisation of an ethics of co-responsibility as well as the introduction of new standards and certification processes for products

Discussant

J. Britt Holbrook, New Jersey Institute of Technology

Individual Presentations:

Institutional Change for Responsible Innovation, Rene von Schomberg

How would a theory of de facto responsible innovation account for pluralitiess in global perspectives? Sally Randles, Manchester Metropolitan University

Responsible Research and Innovation and the classical view of responsibility of scientists: Prospects and Perspectives of RRI in Japan-Yuko Fujigaki University of Tokyo

Towards a paradigm shift in the Innovation Discourse: the epistemic, political and conceptual challenge of Responsible Innovation- Lucien von Schomberg, Wageningen University

RRI in quadruple Helix: how to practices co-responsibility in China’s STI system- Mia Liao, Changsha University of Science and Technology

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No Science with and for Society without Inclusiveness

Inclusiveness underpins the funding programme of Science with and for Society (Swafs) in Horizon 2020. This you can read in the latest Swafs report published on 20 July 2020.

https://app.box.com/s/a1h82nludti38tmgit2gdimtrlpegjdb

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International Handbook on Responsible Innovation. A Global Resource

International Handbook on Responsible Innovation
A Global Resource – available at:

Also as affordable e-book at Google play(+/_ 35 Euro)and can be found here:

The introduction of the handbook is in open access and can be downloaded at the publisher’s website: https://www.elgaronline.com/view/edcoll/9781784718855/9781784718855.00005.xml?rskey=XLL6yc&result=3

Lets discuss the challenges for further developing and implementing responsible innovation at the upcoming 6 international events see:

Challenges for Responsible Innovation

Edited by René von Schomberg, Directorate General for Research and Innovation, European Commission, Belgium and Guest Professor ,Technical University Darmstadt, Germany and Jonathan Hankins, The Bassetti Foundation, Italy

The Handbook constitutes a global resource for the fast growing interdisciplinary research and policy communities addressing the challenge of driving innovation towards socially desirable outcomes. This book brings together well-known authors from the US, Europe, Asia and South-Africa who develop conceptual and regional perspectives on responsible innovation as well as exploring the prospects for further implementation of responsible innovation in emerging technological practices ranging from agriculture and medicine, to nanotechnology and robotics. The emphasis is on the socio-economic and normative dimensions of innovation including issues of social risk and sustainability.

handbook-cover-front[1]


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List of EU funded projects on Open Science and Responsible innovation

The list gives an overview with hyperlinks to project-websites and short summaries. The list is limited to projects funded under the SWAFS programme up to 2018

Overview of Projects on Open Science and Responsiblle Research and Innovation1

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Key Note – European Conference on Precision Agriculture (ECPA 2017)

 

In my address at the ECPA conference, I outlined possible futures of Precision Agriculture which will be determined by issues such as data-ownership and public policies on data-(re) use and data-sharing within the framework of alternatives socio-economic paradigms.

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The powerpoint of the Key Note on Responsible Innovation in Precision Agriculture delivered on 17 July in Edinburgh can be downloaded here.
Key Note ECPA Edinburgh 2017

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International Open Science Conference: 20 March 2017 in Berlin

The programme of the Conference is accessible here:

Open Science Conference 2024

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