Engaging Society in Horizon 2020
Project presentation by project coordinator, Lars Klüver from the Danish Board of Technology Foundation.
Why Engage 2020?
During the last decades participatory approaches gained particular relevance in the field of science and technology policy making. Technocracy alone does not meet The Grand Challenges of relevance that society faces these years. Therefore the search for new forms of governance in the field of science and technology are necessary and the trends towards giving the public a role and a say through technological citizenship is a socially robust and sustainable problem solving.
Intentions with Engage 2020
The purpose of the Engage2020 is to give an overview on existing praxis’ of societal engagement in research and innovation in Europe and potentially the rest of the world. Engage2020 aims at contributing to a wider inclusive praxis on all levels, in order to strengthen the collaborative governance and democratic elements of research and innovation. The project will provide an overview and increase the understanding of engagement to inspire many different actors in the scientific world to make use of engaging practices.
The European Commission has identified seven Grand Challenges -key issues where focused research is needed -ranging from demographic change to security.
With the Horizon2020 funding already available Engage2020 will produce written results by autumn 2014, so that the results can influence the 2015 calls of Horizon2020.
What societal challenges will engage2020 target?
The European Commission has identified seven Grand Challenges – key issues where focused research is needed. The Commission’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation programme is the largest to date with nearly €80 billion of funding available over 7 years to handle the challenges:
- Health, demographic change and wellbeing;
- Food security, sustainable agriculture and forestry, marine and maritime and inland water research, and the Bioeconomy;
- Secure, clean and efficient energy;
- Smart, green and integrated transport;
- Climate action, environment, resource efficiency and raw materials;
- Europe in a changing world – inclusive, innovative and reflective societies;
- Secure societies – protecting freedom and security of Europe and its Citizens.
Engage2020 will provide an overview on of potentiel praxis in Horizon2020 for societal engagement in research and innovation releated activities.
Partners in engage2020
Engage2020 consists of 6 European partners from universities and offices for science and technology:
- The Danish Board of Technology Foundation, DBT, Denmark
- Karlsruher Institut fuer Technologie, KIT, Germany
- The Involve Foundation, Involve, United Kingdom
- Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, RUG, Netherlands
- Applied Research and Communications Fund, ARC Fund, Bulgaria
- Dialogik Gemeinnuetzige Gesellschaft Fuer Kommunikation- und Kooperationsforschung mbH, DIA, Germany
