33 Tech Sovereignty

SASCHA RUHLAND / AUSTRIAN COUNCIL FOR RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT

Research and Innovation Missions underpinning the Green Deal will have to follow the rationale of responsible research and innovation (RRI) by a codesign and co-creation of research and innovation agendas with all stakeholders, including citizens in order to provide direction to innovation. Consolidated evidence of RRI projects funded under the previous Framework Programme demonstrates that RRI will make research more credible, reliable and inclusive as well as more responsive to societal demands. At the same time, RRI increases the quality of science and strengthens the uptake of innovation in society. However, most research and innovation actors lack capacity, incentives and knowledge to conduct mission oriented consistent with the RRI paradigm as required by the Green Deal. Therefore, a centre of expertise is needed in conjunction with a digital interactive platform that can provide capacity and make RRI knowledge fit for application in mission-oriented research.

In order to be able to insert national discussions and interests into a European debate, it would be important to establish national forums of continued exchange between policymakers, stakeholders, and foresight specialists. Such forums should be organised as an inter-service working group, hosted, for example, by the National Councils for Research and Innovation. Importantly, these working groups should not only facilitate the exchange among experts but they should also have the capacity to conduct foresight studies to inform the discussions and to build consensus based on sound evidence.