Wise Sciences

Setting
On the one hand, developments in R&D are determined by different driving factors: the size of the available budgets for R&D activities in different scientific disciplines, the decision-making processes that lead to the definition and selection of the R&D-activities to be funded, the criteria against which the scientific character and the technical and scientific quality are being assessed, etc.

On the other hand, in the Flemish, European and international context, various initiatives have been developed to monitor the societal relevance and acceptability of R&D developments, such as the creation of technology platforms, the implementation of codes of conduct, the establishment of ethical committees, etc.

The IST project ‘Wise sciences’ wants to ask the question if the current science and innovation landscape is organized adequately enough to timely realize those socio-technological innovations that are most necessary to be able to respond efficiently to the big societal 21st century challenges we have to face.

With this project, the IST would like to 1) map the existing initiatives and proposals to tailor R&D developments to the big societal challenges, and 2) together with the stakeholders of the Flemish R&D landscape, verify if and where there are any needs and opportunities in Flanders to better equip the R&D landscape to meet the big societal challenges.

Planning

In a first phase, a literature study, maybe complemented with interviews, will investigate the value of the current initiatives and proposals to tailor the technical and scientific innovations to the societal challenges. On the basis of the results of this research, a proposal will be worked out with possible adjustments to the Flemish R&D landscape.

During a second phase, the IST wants to check the proposal, a) by illustrating its actual significance by means of an application to a specific case, and b) by sounding the stakeholders out on the value and the feasibility of the proposal.

Finally, the IST wants tot translate the results into a series of policy recommendations.

Contact: Marian Deblonde