Solution Focused Risk Assessment and Emerging Technologies
Channel: Risk Bites
Date: 2018-01-03

What is solution-focused risk assessment, and how can it help in the governance of emerging technologies?

Solution-focused risk assessment, or SFRA, is a novel way of thinking about and managing risks developed by Adam Finkel. It involves analyzing the good and bad consequences of what we can do to address an issue, rather than only worrying about the harms of what we are doing.  


USEFUL LINKS
Adam Finkel (2011). ""Solution-Focused Risk Assessment": A Proposal for the Fusion of Environmental Analysis and Action." Human and Ecological Risk Assessment: An International Journal 17(4): 754-787. https://doi.org/10.1080/10807039.2011.588142

Adam Finkel (2015) "Two Complementary 'Solution-Focused' Approaches to Maximizing Net Societal Benefit from Synthetic Biology" At the Harvard Law School workshop "Synthetic Biology: Science, Policy, and Ethics" http://petrieflom.law.harvard.edu/events/details/synthetic-biology

Alfred P. Sloan Foundation program on Synthetic Biology: https://sloan.org/programs/completed-programs/synthetic-biology 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This work was funded through a generous grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation to explore the use of solution focused risk assessment in addressing emerging applications of synthetic biology. It was conceived by Adam Finkel, and developed in collaboration between Adam and Andrew Maynard (also an investigator on the project).


RISK BITES
Risk Bites videos are devised, created and produced by Andrew Maynard, in association with the Arizona State University School for the Future of Innovation in Society (http://sfis.asu.edu). They focus on issues ranging from risk assessment and evidence-based decision making, to the challenges associated with emerging technologies and opportunities presented by public interest technology.

Risk Bites videos are produced under a Creative Commons License CC-BY-SA

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