Citizen engagement remastered
Co-design, co-creation, citizen science, open innovation: some of the buzzwords you might have been hearing a lot recently. But what exactly are they all about? These approaches can be used to achieve societal engagement in science & innovation policies or processes. Through practical examples, we will explore their main features, whether they can be interchangeable, and how they can be beneficial. We will share interesting (and available) tools, but also reflections on how to adapt them to emerging trends such as the need to achieve concrete targets and missions in a relatively short time (i.e. climate neutrality). We will then look at specific cases of getting innovators, regional governments, or huge private companies on board in impactful participatory science engagement activities. After contributions from our speakers, this panel session will then have time for Q&A and interaction.
Session speakers
CEO of Stickydot, a Brussels collective that shapes research and innovation through multi-stakeholder engagement and co-creation. She coordinates the MOSAIC project, exploring how to fairly involve citizens in open innovation processes aimed at tackling societal challenges. She will talk about ways in which co-creation can be used as a powerful tool to achieve Missions’ objectives while stimulating creativity and better contributions to the public good.
Founder and CEO of SoScience, an organization harnessing the power of science and technology to generate positive impacts for the people and the planet. Prior to SoScience, Mélanie worked at the forefront of human-machines interfaces first at NTT Basic Research Laboratories (Japan) and then at the Brain & Spine Institute (ICM, Paris). Through her experience in the laboratory, she gained the conviction that scientists’ skills would serve a greater purpose in a more participatory and impact-centered research model. She will talk about initiatives such as The Future Of, an open innovation program involving companies and other types of expertise in the definition of shared, sustainable future development in various fields.
ERRIN - European Regions Research & Innovation
Responsible for the overall coordination of all projects ERRIN (European Regions Research and Innovation Network) is currently participating in. Ryan also sits on the ERRIN Management team and is tasked with ensuring the results of ERRIN’s EU projects. Ryan will share experiences from ERRIN's Smart Cities Working Group, focusing in particular on the challenges that cities face in involving various types of communities and stakeholders in the definition of common goals, and their achievement.
