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Responsible Innovation (RI) or Responsible Research Innovation (RRI) is defined as the balancing of efforts to maximize the technology’s positive contributions and minimize its negative consequences The notion of RI coming from the emergence of problem from technology or research that result in unprecedented adverse negative effect in society. RI is an attempt to avoid these negative effect from these new technologies. In specific, RI involves an examination both of applications and also potential implications to technology and defined as commitment to develop and use technology to meet human’s need, when at the same time make an effort to anticipate and mitigate adverse implications or unintended consequences. Firms or governments, as the policy makers, interest in RI in order to achieve several objectives such as to keep the companies’ image, to enlarge acceptance of innovation, to increase competitive advantage or as an act for social responsibility.

Some of the emerging technology that currently encompass the notion of RI notably nanotechnologies, genomics, synthetic biology and geoengineering although the discussion start to spread into other sector such as ICT and financial instruments2. Themes In regards to societal concerns that RI need to covered several organization or researchers has put different emphasis on the application and focus themes of RI. This has happened as there is a different values and definition of RI between the stakeholders and policy maker.

For instance the Directorate-General for Research and Innovation EU put the importance on the ethical acceptability, risk management, benefits for humanity and also global issues in regards to EU position to the technology. These normative guideline is based on the agreement that the member countries agreed based on the objective in the Lisbon treaty as the anchor point of values in the region4.

“The sustainable development of europe based on balanced economic growth and price stability, a highly competitive social market economy aiming at full employment and social progress, and a high level of protection and improvement of the quality of the environment.”

Other researchers put different themes that includes social or environmental, consistency/sustainability, social desirability and openness transparency of the development of technology2,3. While there are a diverging number of specific focus of RI, the main themes of putting societal concern into the research is the same concern for all parties.

Scope Different researchers has also put different scope for the application of the RI. In the case of National Nanotech Technology Initiative, the scope of RI is defined such as research for impact assessment and technology risk, education-related activities for example development of materials for the schools or public outreach, and also broad implications to social, economic, ethical and legal implications.

Another study defined RI into two big dimensions, product and process dimension. Products dimension is defined as the evaluation and designed of the product that need to meet the values or themes that meet the responsible innovation criteria. Process dimension is defined as a more responsive, adaptive and integrated management, that using a multidisciplinary approach with the involvement of stakeholders and other parties 4. The idea is to bring the technical innovators to also feel responsible to the societal needs.

European Commision and European member states have implemented certain initiatives that includes: Promoting the consideration of societal needs and ethical aspects in research funding programs through public and stakeholder dialogue Development of criteria for the appraisal or research and innovation through technology assessment Establishment process to integrate societal needs in research and innovation for instance via multidisciplinary approach Create an advisory bodies such as councils on ethical aspects of the new technologies.

Challenges The implementation of RRI has the potential to make the research and innovation investment more efficient. But there has been some challenges that hinder the implementation for RRI.

One challenges in particular is the innovation system often fails to anticipate future societal needs, especially when the problems come in the far future that already relates with different generations. Furthermore, it is difficult to foresee future issues and appropriate solutions and hence the investment is risky and make it less attractive for firms. Although recently more and more companies involved through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program.

Furthermore, the nature of current research industry has not yet sufficiently consider such ethical and societal aspects. There hardly any rewards for taking ethics and responsibility for the researchers5

Other studies views the cultural differences that arise from the social perspectives and national development as one of the challenges. This is come again from different values that researchers have regarding the innovation. Other challenges included unethical science, funding pressure, global financial crisis, regulatory compliance and bureacratic burden4

Tools There are some tools that government and firms can do to implement responsible innovations, for instances: •      Value Sensitive Design (VSD) is an systematic attempt to include values of ethical importance in design. This approach first developed by Batya Friedman and colleagues.VSD first developed for information and communication technology (ICT) but broader application of this tool has been implemented in others sectors. •      Constructive Technology Assessment (CTA) is an approach to reduce the costs of learning by trial-and-error by anticipating future developments of technology, by accommodating these insights in decision making and implementation. •      Midstream Modulation (MM) is defined as tools that aim to enhance responsive capacity of laboratories to broader social dimensions of their work. The methods that MM use are : Inclusion of humanist, participant observation, engagement tools, and  Ask questions to people in laboratory, discuses issues and gives feedbacks. Network Approach for Moral Evaluation (NAME) is defined as an attempt to trace the differences and network dynamics among actors where technological R&D takes place such as universities, research institutes, corporations, government agencies and prospective users who have different interests, agendas and perceptions

Experience The European Commision developed a Code of Conduct of Recommendation for Responsible Nanosciences and Nanotechnolgies Research. This Code of Conduct has been agreed by all the member countries in the EU. . Say something important about the topic.

2. Sutcliffe H A report on Responsible Research & Innovation. MATTER.

3. Von Schomberg, Rene. (2012). Prospects for Technology Assessment in a framework of responsible research and innovation. In M. Dusseldorp & R. Beecroft (Eds.).

4. Directorate-General for Research and Innovation EU. (2012). Ethical and Regulatory Challenges to Science and Research Policy at the Global Level. Brussel: European Commission: Chapter 1.

5. Directorate-General for Research and Innovation EU (2013) Options for Strengthening Responsible Research and Innovation Report of the Expert Group on the State of Art in Europe on Responsible Research and Innovation. European Commission, Brussel

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