ORRI Taxonomy
Creators: name: Nieminen, Mika
name: Lehtinen, Santtu
name: Koskimies, Emmi
name: Lanne, Marinka
name: Tabarés, Raúl
name: Bierwirth, Antonia
name: Backhaus, Julia
name: Rasenescu, Anamaria-Ioana
name: Wagner, Petra
name: Reiter Afghani, Cornelia
name: Lindner, Ralf
name: Vrgović, Petar
name: Stevanov, Branislav
name: von Schomberg, René
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024

description: EU approval still pending.

The major general target for REINFORCING is to empower EU institutions and territories to make tangible and long-term progress in the implementation of ORRI to steer the Green Deal and fair transition’s governance. The REINFORCING vision is that institutions and projects with different levels of expertise can easily interact with other actors, learn from peers, and receive the support they need to take concrete steps in their journey to ORRI implementation. For this purpose, among other objectives, the REINFORCING project aims to create a virtual platform which will function as a One-Stop Source (OSS) for Open and Responsible Research and Innovation (ORRI) related tools, resources, and practices in Europe. The deliverable at hand serves these targets by reviewing current implementation of RRI principles, identifying existing gaps in ORRI implementation, and developing a taxonomy for the organisation of the OSS platform.

For these purposes, we conducted a scoping review on relevant literature, based on thematic interests, to explore the field of ORRI to identify the state of art in terms of its implementation across Europe and finding gaps in its implementation. This was done by consulting selected experts and by searching for literature in various databases. In addition to the scoping review of relevant literature, we completed a review of 201 EU-funded projects related to ORRI. The third data source were the semi-structured qualitative interviews conducted with 19 ORRI experts, mainly including thought leaders and practitioners in the field of ORRI (researchers, representatives of firms and policymakers).

Integration of ORRI principles into research and broader institutional contexts requires adaptation and innovative approaches. As some of the major elements of ORRI are anticipation of social and environmental impacts of research and innovation (RI) as well as engagement of stakeholders and citizens in the process to democratise it, foresight and anticipatory governance are introduced as promising tools bearing an array of reflexive-anticipatory heuristics and facilitating a more democratic development of science, technology, and innovation endeavours. At the same time, efforts at establishing foresight and anticipatory governance always need to be contextualised within the specific socio-political landscapes and require critical self-reflection: anticipatory governance may facilitate openness in innovation processes and the future development of socio-technical systems, or function as instrumental legitimization for predetermined normative milestones.

ORRI needs to become a permanent practice in organisations to have a sustainable impact on R&I processes. Therefore, the deliverable discusses institutionalisation understood as a process of becoming a permanent part of a society, system, or organisation (Cambridge dictionary on-line). These questions are enlightened from the theoretical perspectives of 

neo-institutionalism, institutional entrepreneurship, and deep institutionalisation. While these approaches help to understand various aspects of institutionalisation processes, some of the practical conclusions are that the focus should be on tangible activities on the organisational level, and on building relevant linkages to sustainability and social responsibility-related policies, that can provide support for various ORRI activities.

ORRI is always situated in some specific context in which research and innovation occur which emphasises the need to tailor ethical, societal, and environmental considerations to these contexts. The deliverable focuses especially on organisational and territorial perspectives because they provide the institutional frameworks, resources, and collaborative platforms necessary to integrate ethical, societal, and environmental considerations into research and innovation processes. Some of the major observations include the complex nature of designing and implementing responsibility-related initiatives arising from intertwined local and global challenges, conflicting stakeholder demands, and a lack of implementation support. It can also be noted that despite many attempts and initiatives, also promoted and supported by the EU Commission, the operationalization of RRI in firms and regional policies is still in its infancy.

Practical implementation takes place alongside territorial and organisational processes in a wider policy landscape consisting of global and societal grand challenges. Therefore, the deliverable also discusses mission-oriented research and innovation policy, open science, and public engagement in R&I and R&I democratisation. Mission-oriented research and innovation policy is thought to provide a framework for addressing societal and environmental concerns. Similarly, open science appears to be contributing to an acceleration of research on global challenges, while empowering citizen participation and promoting equity and inclusivity. Public Engagement in R&I and R&I democratisation are considered important as they enhance, for instance, relevance and responsiveness in scientific research and innovation as well as foster trust in science.

In WP1, the REINFORCING Consortium has also conducted a gap analysis of the topics which have been less addressed or require more attention in the implementation of ORRI. As a general observation, actors interested in implementing ORRI approaches need to achieve systemic changes in society towards responsibility, sustainability, and transparency by acting as mediators, enablers, facilitators, and institutional entrepreneurs. To this end, practical tools and approaches are needed.

Following the review and analysis, the final part of the deliverable presents a two-dimensional taxonomy for structuring the OSS platform for ORRI.