Deskribapena

(The information below, including the Conference Program is also available to download as a pdf file at the bottom of this page)

Date:   March 10 and 11, 2016

Venue:   Donostia International Physics Center (DIPC), Donostia-San Sebastián.

Organizers:   Miguel Sánchez-Mazas Chair at University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU.
                             Center for Nanotechnology in Society at Arizona State University (CNS-ASU).

Abstract

The European Commission claims that research and engineering activities under the next R&D Framework Programme, "Horizon 2020" (2014-2020), will be conducted according to a "Responsible Research and Innovation" (RRI) framework, meaning that "societal actors work together during the whole research and innovation process in order to better align both the process and its outcomes, with the values, needs and expectations of European society" (EC, 2012, p. ii). RRI can be understood thus as an effort to justify innovation not on grounds of uncritical, or taken for granted macro-economic assumptions, but on the basis of societally-beneficial objectives, or challenges, as openly defined and debated by a plurality of societal actors. As such, RRI-based EU policy aims to introduce "broader foresight and impact assessments for new technologies, beyond their anticipated market-benefits and risks" (von Schomberg 2013, p. 51).

Explicitly characterized as a "challenge-based approach", Horizon 2020 claims therefore to be prepared and oriented to address"major concerns shared by citizens in Europe and elsewhere", including human and environmental health, sustainability, energy efficiency, climate action, inclusiveness, security, and freedom. However, are these generic challenges self-evident? How are they constituted and by whom? Can those challenges be challenged? How are they operationalized? On what normative bases? These and other similar questions express a legitimate concern for the main dynamics, assumptions and priorities by which normative frameworks are constituted and institutionalized in RRI-based EU research policy. This conference aims to interrogate the heterogeneous and contingent socio-technical processes that guide, enable and also constrain RRI's quest for "right" impacts.

References

• EC, European Commission. 2012. Responsible Research and Innovation – Europe's ability to respond to societal challenges.
• von Schomberg, R. 2013. "A Vision of Responsible Research and Innovation", in R. Owen, J. Bessant and M. Heintz, Eds., Responsible Innovation: Managing the Responsible Emergence of Science and Innovation in Society, Chichester, UK: Wiley, pp. 51-74.

Program 

March 10 (Thursday)

9:00-9:30 Welcome and Introduction

10:30-10:50 Coffee Break

The New Science of RRI

12:30-14:20 Lunch break

Communications – Commentator: Silvio Funtowicz (University of Bergen)

15:50-16:10 Coffee Break

Identifying Domains for RRI Assessment

March 11 (Friday)

The Ethics and Politics of RRI

10:40-11:00 Coffee Break

RRI Imaginations

12:40-14:10 Lunch break

Communications – Commentator: Silvio Funtowicz (University of Bergen)

16:10-16:30 Coffee Break
 

20:00 Conference Dinner

Scientific Committee

• Ellen-Marie Forsberg (Oslo and Akershus University College)
• Armin Grunwald (Institute for Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology)
• Andoni Ibarra (UPV/EHU)
• Carl Mitcham (Colorado School of Mines)
• Daniel Sarewitz (CSPO – Arizona State University)
• Roger Strand (University of Bergen)

Organizing Committee

• Patricio Carezzana (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México)
• Andoni Eizagirre (Mondragon University)
• Erik Fisher (CSPO – Arizona State University)
• Javier García Fronti (Universidad de Buenos Aires)
• Margoth González (UPV/EHU)
• Andoni Ibarra (UPV/EHU)
• Hannot Rodríguez (UPV/EHU)
• Iñaki San Pedro (UPV/EHU)

Registration

There is no registration fee to participate in the conference but registration is required. To register, please send your name/surname, contact details and affiliation by email to CRRI2016@gmail.com no later than March 8th, 2016.

For further details or queries please contact the conference organisers Andoni Eizagirre (aeizagirre@mondragon.edu) or Hannot Rodríguez (hannot.rodriguez@ehu.eus).