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15^th  TST conference 2016

Critical Issues in Science, Technology and Society Issues

Graz, Austria | May 9 – 10, 2016

Special Track on Impacts and Implications of Integrating Responsible Research and Innovation into Economic Institutions

Track Coordinators:

Vincent Blok (Wageningen University, The Netherlands)

Thom B. Long (Wageningen University, The Netherlands)

Responsible research and innovation has emerged as a concept in part to guide research and innovation towards solving 'grand challenges' faced by society (cf. Owen et al. 2013; van den Hoven et al. 2014). Whilst science and research will play a critical role in the identification and development of sustainable, societal desirable and ethical acceptable solutions (von Schomberg, 2013), economic institutions such as academic spinoffs, New Technology Based Firms (NTBFs) and sustainable entrepreneurs will diffuse these into society and the economy.

Such economic institutions and commercially orientated actors are key to this process of responsible innovation adoption and diffusion (Schaltegger and Wagner, 2011; Scholten and van der Duin, forthcoming). On the one hand, these actors are key leverage points for the tackling of grand challenges and the social change to a more sustainable society. On the other hand however, the integration of RRI principles into their activities potentially poses problems; for example, difficulties involved in managing stakeholder goals, expectations and values as well as tensions between responsible and commercial interests and issues of asymmetric information (Blok and Lemmens, 2015). This raises questions concerning the interaction between key innovative actors in the responsible innovation process within economic institutions, and how such actors are able to provide sustainable value for businesses as well as society (Blok et al., 2015).

This session will focus on RRI within economic institutions and commercial contexts, and seek to explore potential advantages and disadvantages, synergies and trade-offs, and the ultimate contribution towards required social change. The session will center on a discussion seeking to provide answers to the following questions:

• To what extent is the concept of RRI relevant and applicable to commercial contexts?
• How can economic institutions and commercially orientated actors like academic spin-offs and New Technology based Firms successfully incorporate the concept of RRI into their activities?
• What advantages or disadvantages exist for commercially orientated actors who adhere to RRI principles?
• What impact does the incorporation of RRI into the innovation process have on the ability of sustainable entrepreneurs to create sustainable value for business and society?

Given the importance of economic institutions in the development and dissemination of responsible innovation, this call for papers aims to deepen TST scholars' and practitioners'  understanding of how economic institutions can effectively be involved in responsible innovation processes. Therefore, we encourage submission of papers that tackle a broad range of questions, including (but not limited to) the aforementioned areas of special interest. Both empirical and conceptual papers are welcome and we strongly encourage multi-disciplinary submissions in areas. To ensure consideration for this TST conference track session, please submit your abstract through the submission system by January 15 2016 via

https://conference.aau.at/event/46// and select S13 Impacts and Implications of Integrating Responsible Research and Innovation into Economic Institutions. For further questions and remarks, please feel free to contact the track coordinators Vincent Blok (vincent.blok@wur.nl) and Thom Long (thomas.long@wur.nl). 

References

Blok, V., Lemmens, P., 2015. The Emerging Concept of Responsible Innovation: Three Reasons Why it is Questionable and Calls for a Radical Transformation of the Concept of Innovation in: Koops, E.J.,

Blok, V., Hoffmans, L., Wubben, E. (2015), „Stakeholder Engagement for Responsible Innovation in the Private Sector: Critical Issues and Management Practices in the Dutch Food Industry", Journal of Chain and Network Science.  

van den Hoven, J., Romijn, H.A., Swierstra, T.E., Oosterlaken, I. (Eds.) 2014. Responsible Innovation: Issues in Conceptualization, Governance and Implementation. Springer, Dordrecht

Owen, W., Bessant, J., Heintz, M. (ed.)(2013), Responsible Innovation. Managing the Responsible Emergence of Science and Innovation in Society Chichester: Wiley

Schaltegger, S., Wagner, M., 2011. Sustainable entrepreneurship and sustainability innovation: categories and interactions. Business Strategy and the Environment 20, 222-237.

Scholten, V., van der Duin, P., forthcoming. The role of Responsible Innovation Practices in developing Absorptive Capacity among Academic Spin-offs. Journal of Chain and Network Science

Dr. Vincent Blok MBA

Assistant Professor in Responsible Innovation and Sustainable Entrepreneurship 

Flagship manager Climate Smart Agriculture Booster (Climate-KiC)

Wageningen University 

Management Studies

Hollandseweg 1, 6706 KN, Wageningen (Building 201)

De Leeuwenborch, Room 5060

P.O. Box 8130, 6700 EW, Wageningen

T: +31 (0) 317 483623

F: +31 (0) 317 485454

E-mail: vincent.blok@wur.nl

Website: www.vincentblok.nl

Website: www.csabooster.eu

Disclaimer: www.wur.nl/UK/disclaimer.htm