Territories as Responsive and Accountable Networks of S3 through new Forms of Open and Responsible decision-Making (TRANSFORM)

Europe is strengthening its efforts to achieve responsible and sustainable modes of research and innovation. Responsible research and innovation, or RRI, requires researchers, citizens, policymakers, businesses and third sector organisations to work closely together. It involves the aligning of research and innovation with societal values, needs and expectations.

The EU-funded TRANSFORM brings together three European regions – Lombardy (Italy), Brussels-Capital (Belgium) and Catalonia (Spain) – to design, test and disseminate three sound co-creation methodological frameworks (participatory research agenda setting, design for social innovation and citizen science) within their Smart Specialisation Strategies (S3). The three implementing regions will engage in mutual learning within and beyond Europe, pairing with a co-design initiative in Boston (USA). The objective is to establish more open, transparent and democratic R&I ecosystems for more responsible territorial development.

In this project, the University of Bergen is represented by the Centre for the Study of the Sciences and the Humanities (SVT) with Roger Strand as principle investigator. SVT is responsible for the evaluation work package of the project.

Objective

- Establish more open, transparent and democratic R&I ecosystems in Europe;

- Consolidate Research and Innovation Strategies for Smart Specialisation (RIS3) by integrating an RRI approach within existing regional innovation processes;

- Empower diverse stakeholders to implement and/or engage with the development of responsible regional development processes and evaluate their impact;

- Explore concrete R&I working methods based on three sound methodological approaches: participatory research agenda setting, citizen science and design for social innovation;

- Advance territorial Responsible Research and Innovation by promoting shared learning and diffusion of governance innovations.

Regional governments involved in TRANSFORM will reflect on, experiment with, learn from and adopt RRI approaches to their R&I policies and actions. Concrete examples of inclusive and sustainable territorial development will be attained, thus providing a set of reliable Policy Recommendations to transforming regional R&I ecosystems towards RRI. TRANSFORM will also be integrated into Strategic Roadmaps for the implementation of RRI within S3, addressed to S3 key players, for maximum benefit across all S3 Thematic Platforms.

The project brings together 13 organisations including regional government, civil society organisations, non-governmental organisations, universities and private companies.