Members of the Basque research network, in one of the Zientziakide conferences organized by Elhuyar. Ed. : Anonymous

What does Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) mean for the Basque research network? To answer this question, Elhuyar has developed, together with the agents of the Basque network, the Zientziakide project through a participatory process.

For this, they have held three days in which the theoretical and practical aspects of the RRI will be addressed. The organization has used the word “fruitful” to define these days, in which researchers have been able to share their views, concerns and practices in the application of RIM.

Thus, participants have identified the limitations of the current research system to carry out the RIM and have defined the first step to take for the paradigm shift: they have considered it essential for institutions to design both funding programmes and research, development and innovation (R&D&i) plans with an RRI approach.

Rosina Malagrida Escala and Gema Revuelta de la Poza participated as guides in the conference. Elhuyar, with the collaboration of the researcher of Mondragon Unibertsitatea, Andoni Eizagirre Eizagirre, has prepared a report with the opinions, experiences and conclusions gathered in it, which has made available to all on the website of Zientziakide.elhuyar.eus

With RRI approach

Responsible Research and Innovation is a transversal concept promoted by the European Commission that affects all research and aims to reduce the gap between the scientific system and society. It has six keys:

• Encourage citizen participation in research processes
• Promoting gender equality in the scientific system
• Scientific education to improve educational processes and scientific vocations among youth
• Ethics to promote scientific integrity
• Open access to scientific information
• Governance agreements between stakeholders and public entities

The project was supported by the Basque Government, the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa, the Kutxa Foundation and the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (FECYT).