How can we exploit new technologies and innovations whilst minimising their risks?

Learn more about current trends in RRI and how ISINNOVA can help to ensure that your research and innovation is efficient, effective, and of the highest standard.

Technological developments are advancing at breakneck speed, and the institutions in charge of regulating these activities are struggling to keep pace. The disparity between the velocity of these two processes has created the need for reform in the governance of innovation. Responsible Research and Innovation, or RRI, aims at fostering a stronger sense of individual and collective responsibility.

RRI acknowledges that the free market will drive innovations and match social expectations, but also recognises the sunken social costs that the markets do not include. However, the behaviours proposed by RRI do not try to slow down the innovation process – for they are not intended to limit options for businesses, but to expand them.

RRI includes a wide range of concepts and notions varying from techniques such as future scenarios to upstream public engagement, focus group consultations and value-sensitive design. And an instrument that goes beyond providing a responsibility checklist, instead helping to change the minds of people who work with innovation: reflective foresight.

Reflective foresight views research and innovation from a broad humanistic angle, including perspectives such as scientific knowledge, the humanities, social sciences, anthropology, history, and art.

ISINNOVA has built its experience and process in reflective foresight, bringing together stakeholders and citizens to collectively brainstorm on the potential impacts of new technologies in an immersive and interactive way. These sessions enable participants to broaden their perspectives, helping to transform the way they innovate and think about innovations. ISINNOVA uses the results to build an increasing number of scenarios to help prepare organisations for an ever-growing number of potential futures.

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Meet our experts in Responsible Research and Innovation