DG CONNECT and RRI-ICT Forum (Responsible Research and Innovation in Information and Communication Technology) organized the first RRI-ICT event on July 8-9, 2015 to discuss about how to enact a responsible approach in ICT-related EU project. EFA Project Manager Giuseppe De Carlo attended the event in representation of the myAirCoach project consortium.
According to participants, coming mostly from European ICT projects consortiums, the most prominent concept around RRI in ICT is Ethics, which is one of the five dimensions included in the European Commission definition of RRI, together with Public Engagement, Open Access, Gender Equality and Science Education. Discussions about what it means to be responsible in ICT-related Research and Innovations continued around the following question: What will make us confident and proud regarding our commitment for responsibility in ICT-related Research and Innovation? Results can be summarized as follows:
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Researchers are moved not only by a passion for their subject of study, but also by the ambition to make a positive impact. This idea of “societally beneficial outcomes” relates closely to the concept of sustainability, and participates in promoting a holistic, long-term approach when analysing the impact of technology on society
- Multidisciplinary research process have many virtues but could be made more effective if “translators” or “facilitators” took part of this process.
- This focus on multidisciplinarity highlights the need for platforms that allow researchers to meet experts from different backgrounds and disciplines.
- Users and citizens should be considered as relevant stakeholders so to increase adaptation of the technologies developed and to reduce the risks of failure.
- It is fundamental to know about other teams’ experiences and share best practices, to identify what could become in the long-term “guidelines” to enact responsible research and innovations in their projects.
In line with the outcomes of the event, confirming the relevance of building a community of practice around RRI in ICT, the RRI-ICT Forum project will start populating an online community platform, so that existing documents, tools and best practices are quickly shared and made available. You can join the community by creating your own account through this link.