fbpx EU Commission video calls VOICES "pioneering project" | Ecsite

EU Commission video calls VOICES "pioneering project"

A focus group during the VOICES project

The Future of Europe is Science - longer version

'The Future of Europe is Science' video was recently released by the European Commission. Aimed at the general public, it outlines a vision for science and society in 2030. Ecsite-led citizen consultation VOICES is given as an example of Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI). Public engagement is also mentioned as an important building block for the future.

EU-funded VOICES project allowed the first in-depth consultation of people living in every country of the European Union on the topic of urban waste, focusing in particular on the concept of ‘waste as a resource’ and the transition to a ‘zero waste society’. For the first time European citizens’ views on issues affecting their daily lives have been formally taken into account for future research and scientific developments – an example of the current shift of paradigm in EU science policy: RRI in action. Watch the video (VOICES comes up around time code 2'40'') and download the project's final report.

Tags

  • #rri

Project

VOICES

VOICES was a ground-breaking consultation, using the opinions of people across the EU to shape the future of European research. 1,000 citizens participated in focus groups run by Ecsite members, expressing their hopes, fears, concerns and ideas on the theme of urban waste. The results of this consultation have directly informed policy, as they were fed into several research calls for the EU Horizon 2020 funding programme.