Integrated assessment of emerging science and technologies as creating learning processes among assessment communities

Abstract

Emerging science and technologies are often characterised by complexity, uncertainty and controversy. Regulation and governance of such scientific and technological developments needs to build on knowledge and evidence that reflect this complicated situation. This insight is sometimes formulated as a call for integrated assessment of emerging science and technologies, and such a call is analysed in this article. The article addresses two overall questions. The first is: to what extent are emerging science and technologies currently assessed in an integrated way. The second is: if there appears to be a need for further integration, what should such integration consist in? In the article we briefly outline the pedigree of the term ‘integrated assessment’ and present a number of interpretations of the concept that are useful for informing current analyses and discussions of integration in assessment. Based on four case studies of assessment of emerging science and technologies, studies of assessment traditions, literature analysis and dialogues with assessment professionals, currently under-developed integration dimensions are identified. It is suggested how these dimensions can be addressed in a practical approach to assessment where representatives of different assessment communities and stakeholders are involved. We call this approach the Trans Domain Technology Evaluation Process (TranSTEP).

AMICAI: A Method Based on Risk Analysis to Integrate Responsible Research and Innovation into the Work of Research and Innovation Practitioners

“…On the other hand, focusing on the analysis of undesirable effects in day-to-day work of R&I practitioners may lead to RRI becoming an integral part of the design process. This can be done following the example of risk analysis for product safety, which is an integral part of R&D. This compromise, however, is in line to the statements made by Forsberg et al (2016), which stated that there is a difference between the bird's eye view and to really zoom in on the details to make the results applicable to daily practice. This difference must also be reflected in the methodological support and somehow be brought together.…”

“…However, the undesirable effects of research and innovation cannot be ignored and must therefore be part of RRI. The importance of problem-orientation in emerging science and technologies assessment is, for example, discussed by Forsberg et al (2016). Chatfield et al (2017) concluded that employing the theoretical lens of risk in a pragmatic "first step" approach can be a familiar language to companies and thus R&I practitioners.…”

“…politics, funding agencies and 1 3 AMICAI: A Method Based on Risk Analysis to Integrate Responsible… the hierarchy of research institutions, or in the industrial environment through management decisions. Furthermore, Forsberg et al (2016) mention that conducting RRI assessment on a general level fails to address the main challenge to making the results applicable to daily practice. Thus, it is the aim of the present article to address this need for methodological RRI support for the day-to-daywork of R&I practitioners.…”

“…On the basis of the studies by Chatfield et al (2017) on the high relevance of risk assessment, including the consideration of ethical and social issues, it is suggested that employing the theoretical lens of risk in a pragmatic "first step" approach can be a familiar language to companies and thus R&I practitioners. However, the area of risk analysis within RRI covers only the classic safety topics by avoiding (technical) product failures with a focus on potential hazards (Agapito-Tenfen et al 2018;Beaudrie et al 2014;Forsberg et al 2016;Van Wezel et al 2018). Accordingly, it is proposed to extend the methodology of traditional risk analysis to the field of RRI and in particular be able to take also ethical, legal and social effects into account in the analysis.…”

Risk analysis and technology assessment in support of technology development: Putting responsible innovation in practice in a case study for nanotechnology

“…Generally RRI emphasizes consideration of ethical and social aspects of research and innovation in addition to natural sciences, and therefore asks to combine assessments from different perspectives. To this end, the TranSTEP approach was developed, which pleads for maximizing the integration of various existing assessment methodologies including, for example, technology assessment (TA), risk analysis (RA), and life cycle analysis (LCA) (Forsberg et al ).…”