The document discusses responsible innovation and its benefits over traditional market-based innovation approaches. It defines responsible innovation as a transparent and interactive process where societal actors and innovators respond to each other to ensure innovations are ethical, sustainable, and desirable for society. This helps steer innovation towards addressing societal challenges rather than just pursuing profits. The document also discusses how responsible innovation can help transition to more sustainable energy and address issues like income inequality through approaches like frugal innovation.

1. 1
Dr. Dr.phil René von Schomberg*
*The views expressed here are those of the author and may not in any circumstances be
regarded as stating an official position of the European Commission
Presentation is based on AMONG OTHER: 'A vision of Responsible Research and
Innovation' in: In: R. Owen, M.Heintz and J .Bessant (eds.) Responsible Innovation.
London: John Wiley, 2013,

2. Old wisdoms don’t hold for
21th century
Give a man a fish and he
has food for a day;
Teach a man to fish and he
has food for a life-time
‘pursuit of happiness’
 Infinite rescources
 Anybody has access to
rescources
 Privatisation & state –
regulation have
demonstrated their
limits: loss of ‘meaning’ of
souvereignity.
 ‘pursuit of ‘sustainability’
‘societal challenges’:
innovation for
sustainability

3. Passarola- 'Ugly
bird'
"A machine for sailing through the air" 1702
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4. Benefits and Risks of the Passarola
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Benefits: 'Manage 200 leagues a day'
'Bring far away countries news and orders'
'The furthermost regions will be discovered, to the
Portuguese nation's benefit'
Risks: 'many crimes will be committed, as (…) to easily
flee from one country to another'
Recommendation to the king: "its use will have to be limited"

5. National ‘souvereign’ vs Market
Responsible control/use
 Responsible governor-central
control agent
 Restricted use
 Benefit for the state
 Moral constraint of governor
Responsible marketing
● "Loss of control agent"
● Democratization of
use/privatization of
production
● Market-competition for
'benefit of all'-market-success
● Market hurdles
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6. Innovation vs. Responsible Innovation
Innovation
 State responsibility for risks
 Macro-economic assessment:
'infinite growth'
 steer less, inherently good
(benefits=market-succes)
 'the faster, the better'
 Technology-oriented R&D
Responsible Innovation
 State responsibility for positive
outcomes of R&I
 Economic and societal impact of
'knowledge'': 'sustained growth'
 responsive to basic needs, reflect
basic values(beyond consumer-
preferences on the market)
 Innovation is 'managed'(anticipate
irresponsible R&I)
 Issue-oriented R&I
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7. Defining RRI
Responsible Research and Innovation is a transparent,
interactive process by which societal actors and innovators
become mutually responsive to each other with a view to
the (ethical) acceptability, sustainability and societal
desirability of the innovation process and its (marketable)
outcomes and impacts
Required
- Stakeholder commitment to socially desirable objectives

8. Innovation vs. Responsible
Innovation
MARKET-BASED INNOVATION RESPONSIBLE INNOVATION
 State responsibility for risks
 Macro-economic assessment:
'infinite growth'
 steer less, inherently good
 'the faster, the better'
 Technology-oriented R&D
 State responsibility for `right'
impacts of R&I
 Economic and societal impact of
'knowledge'': 'sustained growth'
 responsive to basic needs, reflect
basic values
 Innovation is 'managed'
 Issue-oriented R&I

9. Responsible Development of Tech
vs Responsible Innovation
Responsible Development Responsible Innovation
 Identification and management of
ethical, legal, and societal
implications
 Incorporation of safety evaluation of
into the product life cycle and
allocation of
 Budgets for identification and study
of risks
 Identification of knowledge gaps
and regulatory needs
 Involvement of stakeholders and
engagement in international
dialogue
 Key-tech focussed
 Anticipatory Governance
 Deliberative Governance: Early
policy responsive and stakeholder
commitment
 Ethics of Co-Responsibility
 Ethics as a driving force
 Driving innovation 'societal
desirable ends'- Innovation
partnerships
 Societal objective focussed:
whatever it takes as 'means':
multitech-social innovation etc
 Transition to Sustainable energy

10. Conclusion
 From ‘pursuit of happiness’ to ‘pursuit of
sustainability’ requires regulation beyond State and
Market- ‘public goods’: ‘clean air’
 Responsible Innovation drives innovation towards
‘societal, global common challenges’’
 Turns innovations which hinders RI into irresponsible
ones…..

11. 05/10/2016
Defining RRI
Responsible Research and Innovation is a
transparent, interactive process by which
societal actors and innovators become mutually
responsive to each other with a view to the
(ethical) acceptability, sustainability and
societal desirability of the innovation process
and its (marketable) outcomes and impacts

12. Frugal Innovation(Mashelkar):
More(performance),Less(cost),More(people)
 INCOME Inequality: 1000:1
 Access Inequality: 1:1
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13. Frugal Innovation: 28 Dollar Foot
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14. Frugal innovation India
Product From TO
Tablet 700 $ 35 $
Psoriasis Treatment 20.000$ 100$
Hepatitis B vaccine 18 $ 0.4
Cataract Surgery 3000 30 $
Artificial Foot 12.000 28 $
05/10/2016

15. renevonschomberg.wordpress.com
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