Overview of public engagement in research & innovation : mutual learning exercise on public engagement : first thematic report.
Date: 2024-04-04
Institutions: Directorate-General for Research and Innovation
Subjects: EU Member State, EU research policy, Framework Programme for Research and Development, citizen science, civic engagement, fund (EU), innovation, learning, project funding, report, research project, support policy

Overview of Public Engagement in 
Research & Innovation 

Mutual Learning Exercise on Public 
Engagement in R&I  

           First thematic report  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
       
 
Overview of Public Engagement in Research & Innovation. Mutual Learning Exercise 
on Public Engagement in R&I  
European Commission 
Directorate-General for Research and Innovation 
Directorate A — ERA & Innovation 
Unit A.1 — Semester & Country Intelligence 
Contact   (Horizon Europe PSF coordination team):  

Magda De CARLI, Head of Unit A.1 
Stéphane VANKALCK, PSF Head of Sector, Unit A.1 
Eugenija PUCIUTE, PSF Coordinator of the MLE on Public Engagement on R&I, Unit A.1 

Email   Magda.DE-CARLI@ec.europa.eu 

Stephane.VANKALCK@ec.europa.eu 
Annamaria.ZONNO111@ec.europa.eu 
Eugenija.PUCIUTE@ec.europa.eu 
RTD-PUBLICATIONS@ec.europa.eu 

European Commission 
B-1049 Brussels 

Manuscript completed in April 2024  
First edition 

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doi:10.2777/48477 

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EUROPEAN COMMISSION 

Overview of Public 
Engagement in Research & 
Innovation 

Mutual Learning Exercise on Public 
Engagement in R&I  

First thematic report  

Edited by 

Cissi Billgren Askwall 

with support from: 

Marzia Mazzonetto 

Mona Roman 

Angela Simone 

2024 

Directorate-General for Research and Innovation 
Horizon Europe Policy Support Facility 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Table of contents 
1.  The MLE on Public Engagement in R&I ................................................ 5 

 The MLE Concept 

 Workplan and topics for the MLE on Public Engagement 

 Purpose, modus operandi and expected outcomes of the MLE 

5 

5 

7 

2.  An Introduction to Public Engagement ................................................. 8 

 Types of Public Engagement activities 

2.1.1. Co-design 

2.1.2. Co-creation 

2.1.3. Co-assessment 

2.1.4. Science Communication 

 Opportunities brought by Public Engagement 

 The importance of facilitation 

 The importance of inclusion 

9 

9 

10 

10 

11 

11 

12 

12 

3.  Inspiring policies in support on Public Engagement ........................... 12 

 Global policies and frameworks 

3.1.1. The UNESCO Recommendations on Open Science 

3.1.2. The OECD Initiative on Innovative Citizen Participation and on PE in 

Innovation Policies 

3.1.3. The World Bank support to Citizen Engagement 

3.1.4. The Aarhus Convention 

3.1.5. The Global Research Council’s Statement of Principles on PE 

 European policies 

3.2.1. Open Science as a legal obligation under Horizon Europe 

3.2.2. The evolving concept of PE within EU Policy: from RRI to ORRI 

3.2.3. A new European Research Area (ERA) 

3.2.4. The Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment (CoARA) 

3.2.5. Knowledge valorisation 

 National and regional frameworks 

3.3.1. UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Public Engagement Strategy 

3.3.2. The Spanish National Strategy for Open Science 

3.3.3. The Flemish Science Agenda (Belgium) 

3.3.4. The Dutch Research Agenda 

3.3.5. Open Science Netherlands 

13 

13 

14 

15 

15 

15 

16 

16 

17 

18 

18 

19 

19 

20 

20 

20 

21 

21 

2 

 
3.3.6. The Slovenian Action Plan for Open Science 

3.3.7. Swedish guidelines on Open Science 

3.3.8. Norwegian Research Council’s Policy for Open Science 

21 

22 

22 

4.  Inspiring public engagement projects, initiatives and resources ....... 22 

 Projects and initiatives 

4.1.1. Co-design 

4.1.1.1. Germany: Citizens’ Council Research 

4.1.1.2. France: The National Citizen Convention for Climate 

4.1.1.3. Ireland: Creating Our Future 

4.1.1.4. Denmark: Consensus Conferences 

4.1.1.5. Italy: Citizens’ Jury on Responsible Smart Mobility 

4.1.1.6. EU: the VOICES project 

4.1.1.7. EU: the CIMULACT project 

4.1.2. Co-creation 

4.1.2.1. EU: Co-creating solutions for climate-neutral cities 

4.1.2.2. Flanders: the Amai! Project 

4.1.2.3. EU: ORION Open Science 

4.1.2.4. The Netherlands and beyond: Science Shops 

4.1.3. Co-assessment 

4.1.3.1. Ireland: #DiscussAI 

4.1.4. Science Communication 

4.1.4.1. Sweden: Researchers’ Friday 

4.1.4.2. Germany: Science Years 

4.1.4.3. The Netherlands: National Expertise Centre Science & Society (NEWS) 

4.1.4.4. Germany: #FactoryWisskomm 

 Key ongoing EU PE projects 

 PE resources 

22 

22 

22 

23 

23 

23 

23 

23 

24 

24 

24 

24 

24 

24 

25 

25 

25 

25 

25 

26 

26 

26 

27 

5.  Reflections and conclusions ................................................................. 28 

3 

 
 
 
 
List of Figures  

Figure 1: Open Science............................................................................................................... 13 

Figure 2: Open Science pillars .................................................................................................... 14 

4 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
1.  The MLE on Public Engagement in R&I  

Mutual  Learning  Exercises  (MLE)  are  actions  carried  out  by  the  Policy  Support  Facility  of 
the European Commission. They aim to facilitate the exchange of information, experiences 
and lessons learned, as well as to support and scale up the uptake of specific topics and 
approaches through the identification of good practices, policies and programmes at a local, 
regional  and  national  level.  Each  MLE  has  a  specific  thematic  focus,  and  several  MLEs 
involving various Member States have been implemented so far.1 

This thematic report is produced as part of an MLE on Public Engagement in Research & 
Innovation.  The  MLE  is  a  collaboration  between  eight  European  countries  and  the 
European Commission, further described below. 

  The MLE Concept 

Since  2015,  the  Policy  Support  Facility  has  given  practical  support  to  design,  implement 
and  evaluate  reforms  that  enhance  the  quality  of  research  and  innovation  (R&I) 
investments, policies and systems in the Member States and Associated Countries. There 
are three main services being offered: 

PSF Country is an in-depth assessment of a country's R&I system carried out by a panel of 
experts and peers, leading to actionable policy recommendations on reforms necessary to 
strengthen their R&I system. 

PSF  Challenge  includes  the  Mutual  Learning  Exercises  and  is  focused  on  specific  and 
operational  R&I  challenges of  interest  to  several  volunteering  countries.  It  aims  to  identify 
good practices, lessons learned and success factors, resulting in policy recommendations. 
MLEs  are  processes  characterised  by  “learning  by  doing”.  Representatives 
from 
government  and  public  bodies  meet  to  discuss  and  exchange  experiences.  Methods 
include  involvement  of  stakeholders,  peer  learning,  expert  advice,  and  evidence-based 
analysis. The exercises are steered by the European Commission’s Directorate-General of 
Research and Innovation. 

The MLE results are presented in thematic reports and a concluding final report with policy 
recommendations.  All  results  are openly  published,  and  specific  dissemination  events  are 
also organised. 

PSF  Open  allows  countries  that  have  already  benefited  from  a  PSF  exercise  to  receive 
support to follow up on the PSF recommendations. 

  Workplan and topics for the MLE on Public Engagement 

This  thematic  report  aims  to  set  the  scene  for  the  MLE  on  Public  Engagement  (PE)  on 
Research  and  Innovation  (R&I),  which  runs  from  January  2024  to  the  spring  of  2025. 
Participating countries are Belgium, Germany, Ireland, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, 
Slovenia, and Sweden. The report also includes the results of the first meeting of the MLE, 
describing  policies,  frameworks,  projects  and  resources  related  to  public  engagement  in 
Europe.  This  first  meeting  took  place  on  23  January  2024  in  Brussels,  Belgium  on 

1 The full list of MLEs: https://projects.research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/en/statistics/policy-support-
facility/psf-
challenge#:~:text=The%20MLE%20aims%20to%20facilitate,and%20scaling%20up%20citizen%20science.  

5 

 
 
Topic  1:  Overview  of  Public  Engagement  in  Research  &  Innovation.  The  expert 
responsible for the topic is Cissi Billgren Askwall. 

The timing and themes for the forthcoming meetings will be: 

Meeting 2: 7–8 May 2024 in Dublin, Ireland. Topic 2: Successes and Challenges when 
engaging the public in the R&I agenda and policy setting. Expert responsible for the topic: 
Mona Roman. The meeting will address questions such as: 

•  How to successfully engage the public in co-design and co-creation of R&I agendas and 
research priorities; co-assessment, and participation in deployment, uptake, and use of 
outputs? 

•  What  are  good  practices  that  promote  democratic  integrity,  feedback,  and  recognition, 

as well as research ethics and inclusion? 

•  What are the drivers and barriers that public authorities face when engaging the public 

to R&I agenda and policy setting? 

•  What  concrete  examples  of  good  practices  to  share  tools  and  models  for  public 

authorities as well as lessons learnt can be shared? 

•  How to ensure that PE does not become, or be seen as, government propaganda, but 

truly includes a two-way interaction and influence? 

•  What  is  required  from  public  authorities  to  succeed in  the  engagement  of  the  public in 

co-design, co-creation, and co-assessment? 

•  What can Member States with little experience learn from the more experienced ones? 

Meeting 3: 23–24 September 2024 in the Hague (preliminary), the Netherlands. Topic 
3: Public Engagement and Framework Conditions on the institutional support provided 
by  public  authorities  to  researchers.  Expert  responsible  for  the  topic:  Marzia  Mazzonetto. 
The meeting will address questions such as: 

•  Which  institutional,  informational,  infrastructural,  socioeconomic,  etc.  factors  determine 

the local context in which public engagement takes place? 

•  What  are  the  success  factors  (policies,  instruments,  synergies  etc.)  that  make 

meaningful public engagement with R&I happen?  

•  What capacity building is available? 

•  How can PE practices be embedded in governance and policy making? 

•  What are the incentives and rewards for citizens to participate in PE? 

•  How can the impact of PE be evaluated and measured? 

•  What are the ethical questions around involving citizens (and businesses) in PE?  

6 

 
•  How to avoid and protect against engagement fatigue? 

Meeting  4:  6–7  November  (preliminary)  in  Berlin,  Germany.  Topic  4:  Public 
engagement  in  the  European  Research  Area  (ERA)  on  the  commonalities  and 
features  for  generalisation  across  the  ERA.  Expert  responsible  for  the  topic:  Angela 
Simone. The meeting will address questions such as:  

•  What are the best practices in PE in R&I in the different Member States, and what policy 
frameworks  are  used  to  introduce,  support,  and  incentivise  these  practices?  Are  there 
commonalities that can be used for generalisation across the ERA? 

•  What  key  components  of  PE  in  R&I  in  Europe  are  needed  to  define  a  European 

approach to PE? 

•  How can the framework conditions discussed during the Topic 3 meeting be connected 
across regional/national/international levels to create synergies and a strong network of 
PE actors? 

•  What  recommendations  can  be  designed  to  stimulate  policymakers  to  include  citizens' 

views and ideas while designing R&I policies?     

•  What  suggestions  can  be  forwarded  to  policymakers  so they  can  provide  guidance  for 

researchers and innovators in PE implementation? 

Meeting 5: A final online meeting in early 2025 will be devoted to the co-creation of 
a  final  report  on  the  outcomes  and  recommendations  of  the  MLE.  Expert  and 
rapporteur for the final report: Marzia Mazzonetto.  

A separate online dissemination event  will also be  organised during spring 2025 to 
disseminate the results of the MLE to a wider audience. 

  Purpose, modus operandi and expected outcomes of the MLE  

Participants  and  experts  in  the  MLE  will  co-create  an  overview  of  PE  in  R&I  and  its 
institutionalisation  and  use  across  Europe  by  sharing  information  on  PE  strategies, 
programmes,  and  instruments  in  their  countries  at  local and  national  levels.  The  aim  is  to 
take  stock  of  the  divergent  national  realities  and  trace  potential  differences  but  especially 
similarities,  to  draw  a  potential  EU  approach  to  PE  in  R&I.  Besides  research  and  policy 
institutions,  innovation  actors  and  ecosystems,  the  MLE  will  also  consider  the  potential 
roles that libraries, arts, cultural institutions, and museums can play in PE activities.  

Each  meeting  will  be  prepared  by  the  experts  in  consultation  with  the  European 
Commission, the country hosts, and the contractor. A discussion paper will be prepared by 
the expert responsible for the topic and distributed in advance to help participants prepare 
for  the  meeting.  During  the  meeting,  the  topic  will  be  presented  and  discussed  in  a  co-
creative  manner,  where  all  participants  are  expected  to  contribute.  Relevant  stakeholders 
and  project  officers  can  be  invited  to  provide  additional  expertise,  and  different  meeting 
formats,  exercises  and  study  visits  can  be  included.  A  thematic  report  summarising  the 
findings and results will be written, openly published and distributed after each meeting.  

7 

 
 
 
At  the  first  MLE  meeting,  Mr  Michael  Arentoft,  Head  of  Unit  RTD  A4:  Open  Science  and 
Research  Infrastructures,  explained  that  the  European  Commission  expects  the  MLE  to 
exchange  and  discuss  good  and  also  bad  practices  in  PE,  what  can  be  replicated  and 
scaled up (or down) in other regions and countries, and what are the framework conditions 
that  support  effective  PE,  for  example  institutional  support,  infrastructures,  people  (skills 
and capacity), motivation and incentives. 

Ms  Magda  de  Carli,  Head  of  Unit  RTD  A1:  Semester  &  Country  Intelligence,  encouraged 
MLE  participants  to  be  active,  open,  and  transparent, sharing  with  each  other  what works 
and what does not work, and to commit to trying to implement any points of learning.  

The  MLE  will  draw  upon  the  knowledge  generated  through  other  MLEs  and  relevant  EU-
funded projects and build on their achievements and experiences while seeking to expand 
the  scope  and  fill  outstanding  gaps.  It  will  take  up  current  needs  in  Member  States  and 
Associated Countries, consider the various engagement dimensions and cover the different 
layers of PE in R&I.  

Wider  issues  of  public  participation  in  R&I  policy  design  will  also  be  examined,  with  an 
emphasis  on  national  experiences  and  initiatives  regarding  democracy,  inclusion,  equity 
and  reaching  out  to  affected  communities  that  do  not  habitually  participate  in  R&I 
governance processes.  

Moreover, the MLE aims to strengthen the European PE community, add value to existing 
PE  activities,  and  strengthen  Member  States’  capacities  to  use  PE  for  R&I  policy 
development,  not  least  with  respect  to  co-creating  future  EU  Research  Framework 
Programmes.  The  exercise  will  lead  to  recommendations  for  policymakers,  backed  by 
evidence, compiled good practices and analyses of approaches in the Member States.  

2.  An Introduction to Public Engagement  

PE is a crucial element when managing the many problems that our societies are facing. To 
address  and  solve  the  grand  challenges  of  our  time,  R&I  actors  need  to  collaborate  with 
other  societal  actors  by  sharing  knowledge,  informing  public  and  political  discourse  and 
decision-making  processes,  and  opening  up  to  citizens’  needs,  ideas  and  contributions. 
Europe  is  investing  major  resources  in  producing  research-based  knowledge,  but  for  this 
knowledge to become usable, accessible, transferable and valuable to citizens and society 
at large, investments in PE are also necessary.  

Citizens’  contribution  to  knowledge  is  becoming  more  and  more  visible  through  initiatives 
such  as  citizen  science  and  Do-It-Yourself  science,  as  well  as  through  processes  of  co-
creation  and  harnessing  collective  intelligence  that  leads  to  better  and  more  sustainable 
and acceptable solutions, advancements, and innovations. Ultimately, it is about promoting 
and  enhancing  quality  of  life,  strengthening  democratic  societies  and  collectively  shaping 
the future.  

There  are  a  number  of  terminologies  and  concepts  used  to  describe  PE,  but  no 
unanimously  agreed  upon  definition.  An  often-used  definition  has  been  developed  by  the 
NCCPE (National Co-ordinating Centre of Public Engagement) in the UK: 

Public  Engagement  describes  the  myriad  of  ways  in  which  the  activity  and  benefits  of 
higher education and research can be shared with the public. Engagement is by definition a 

8 

 
two-way  process,  involving  interaction  and  listening,  with  the  goal  of  generating  mutual 
benefit. 

PE  can  also  be  referred  to  by  terms  like  Science  -,  Civic  -,  Societal  -,  or  Citizen 
Engagement,  which  describe  an  interactive  and  collaborative  process  involving  citizens  in 
R&I.  

PE plays a key role in the so-called quadruple-helix approach, which highlights the benefits 
of four major actors collaborating: academia, policy, industry and society. The simultaneous 
involvement of various stakeholders in R&I processes and their governance typically leads 
to collaborative ideas, needs and solutions that consider different types of expertise, points 
of view, etc. and therefore have a stronger potential of being successful. 

  Types of Public Engagement activities 

Throughout  the  years,  PE  in  R&I  has  been  extensively  supported,  investigated  and 
implemented  through  EU-funded  Framework  Programmes,  such  as  Horizon  2020  (2013–
2020)  and  the  current  Horizon  Europe  (HE)  programme.  PE  is  an  important  element  in 
Open  Science  under  HE2  and  R&I  projects  funded  by  the  programme  are  required  to 
provide  information  on  how  they  plan  to  implement  “citizen,  civil  society,  and  end-user 
engagement”  (where/if  applicable).  This  may  include  “co-design  activities  (workshops  or 
focus  groups),  co-creation  activities  (citizen  science  or  user-led  creation)  and  co-
assessment activities (assisting monitoring, feedback, and evaluation of the governance of 
projects)” 3. Several European countries (and regions) are also supporting this approach, for 
example by including direct references to the importance of PE in their R&I strategies. 

2.1.1.  Co-design 

Co-design  refers  to  activities  aimed  at  consulting  citizens  about  R&I  related  topics  with  a 
view to identifying needs, ideas, priorities, and recommendations. This input can be key to 
the development of a research activity; or be linked to the appearance on the market of an 
innovation,  the  definition  of strategic  priorities in  R&I  funding,  the  responsible  unfolding  of 
an  emerging  technology,  etc.  Methods  often  used  include  R&I  agenda  setting,  surveys, 
deliberative  methods  (such  as  citizen  juries,  consensus  conferences,  citizen  assemblies, 
etc), scenario building, focus groups, participatory workshops, etc.  

Co-design activities typically lead to two types of outcomes: a validation of already existing 
ideas, priorities, etc. (confirming that citizens are often aware of the issues at stake), and/or 
a  deeper  understanding  of  key  societal  drivers  (often  disregarded  in  R&I),  which  can 
activities.  
policies 
provide 

useful 

input 

R&I 

and 

to 

to 

Furthermore, co-design can provide useful insights into the public’s perception of the impact 
of  new  and  emerging  technologies,  especially  potentially  controversial  ones,  by  exploring 
various  perspectives,  ideas  and  perceived  potential  risks.  Such  information  can  be 
beneficial for implementing responsible strategic technology governance. 

2 As described in the Horizon Europe approach to Open Science, at least three types of public engagement 
can be identified, which are also observed and supported in this MLE: Co-design, co-creation, and co-
assessment. 
3 The EC’s Open Science approach: https://rea.ec.europa.eu/open-
science_en#:~:text=Open%20science%20is%20an%20approach,%2C%20as%20closed%20as%20necessa
ry'.  

9 

 
 
 
Co-design  can  be  performed  at  local,  regional,  as  well  as  national  level,  and  it  usually 
requires  a  few  months  to  be  implemented,  depending  on  its  scale.  Costs  of  relevant 
activities  include  professional  facilitators  (e.g.  for  setting  up  the  methodological  approach 
and  analysing  the  outcomes),  venue  and  catering,  possible  incentives,  travel  costs  and 
services  (such  as  childcare)  for  participants,  and  in  some  cases  the  recruitment  of 
participants  themselves  (i.e.  when  the  co-design  method  requires  selection  of  participants 
according to specific demographic data). 

2.1.2.  Co-creation 

Co-creation refers to activities aimed at the collaborative production of tangible outcomes, 
such  as  technologies,  goods,  and  services.  It  is  a  process  typically  initiated  by  one of  the 
actors  of  the  quadruple-helix  (for  example,  cities,  public  agencies,  or  private  companies) 
and  should  ideally  involve  contributors  from  all  helixes.  Methods  typically  used  include 
participatory  workshops,  collaborative  making  or  tinkering,  design  thinking,  do-it-yourself 
science, citizen science, hackathons, etc.  

One  major  concern  within  these  kinds  of  processes  is  potential  cultural  clashes  when 
bringing  various  stakeholders  together.  However,  co-creation  experiences  (such  as,  for 
example,  made  by  cities  involved  in  the  EU-funded  MOSAIC  project4)  have  shown  that 
carefully  set-up  and  facilitated  processes,  focused  on  the  shared  contribution  that 
participants  can  bring  to  the  identification  of  solutions  rather  than  discussions  around 
problems, rarely fail. Like co-design, co-creation can bring added value to already explored 
solutions  by  bringing  together  the  expertise,  the  needs,  and  the  willingness  to  accept 
changes by all actors involved.  

Co-creation activities are often challenge-driven, and are best run on a local scale, focusing 
on a specific territory or target audience. They usually last longer than co-design activities, 
as  it  takes  time  to  co-develop  ideas.  Venues  such  as  makerspaces  or  living  labs  are 
particularly suited to host co-creation activities, although similar environments can be set at 
a  lower  cost,  making  use  of  simple  things  such  as  drawings  or  recycled  materials  for  the 
development of prototypes. 

In  2016,  the  Council  of  the  EU  recognised  citizen  science  as  an  open  science  priority. 
Citizen  science  means  to  co-produce  scientific  data,  analysis,  and  results,  where 
researchers  and  citizens  work  together.  Such  methods  can  make  science  more  socially 
relevant,  accelerate  and  enable  production  of  new  scientific  knowledge,  increase  public 
awareness  about  science  and  ownership  of  policymaking,  as  well  as  increase  the 
prevalence of evidence-based policymaking. A specific MLE on Citizen Science Initiatives5 
previously explored its different dimensions, investigating key features and ways to support 
national and local policymakers in introducing such initiatives in their own settings.            

2.1.3.  Co-assessment 

Co-assessment is a less common PE practice, although a very important one. It focuses on 
involving  citizens  and  stakeholders  in  the  identification  of  what  can  be  considered  a 
successful  outcome.  This  is  a  quite  innovative  approach,  as  the  impacts  of  R&I  activities 
are typically defined by researchers or R&I funders only.  

4 https://mosaic-mission.eu/pilots 
5  All 
innovation.ec.europa.eu/en/statistics/policy-support-facility/psf-challenge/mutual-learning-exercise-citizen-
science-initiatives-policy-and-practice  

the  MLE  on  Citizen  Science:  https://projects.research-and-

reports  produced  by 

10 

 
 
The methods used in co-assessment are very similar to the ones applied to co-design and 
co-creation:  carefully  facilitated  participatory  workshops,  focus  groups,  surveys  and 
interviews involving future beneficiaries of R&I outcomes and policies.  

Co-assessment processes can generate considerable added value in terms of acceptance 
and  societal  relevance  of  R&I  advancements.  Costs  (facilitation,  analysis,  recruiting  and 
incentives) are relatively low, and processes can be run during a limited time, ranging from 
a few weeks to a few months.  

Co-assessment  works  at  its  best  when  performed  before  starting  R&I  and  governance 
processes,  to  co-define  shared  key  performance  indicators  and  expected  outcomes,  and 
towards the end, to co-assess if such outcomes have been achieved. 

2.1.4.  Science Communication 

Besides  co-design,  co-creation  and  co-assessment,  more  traditional  forms  of  science 
communication,  such  as  for  example  outreach,  dissemination,  dialogues,  and  informal 
science  education,  are  relevant.  These  methods  are  characterised  by  either  one-way  or 
two-way  communication,  for  example  science  programmes  and  articles  in  the  media, 
science  festivals,  public  talks,  science  cafés,  etc.  Awareness  raising  and  conversations 
around R&I topics play a crucial role in opening-up science and familiarising the public with 
research  and  key  scientific  issues.  Such  activities  can  spark  curiosity,  boost  interest, 
improve science literacy and foster informed decision-making, but they are less useful when 
the  objective  is  to  involve  citizens  and  stakeholders  in  addressing  societal  concerns  and 
topical  challenges  related  to  R&I.  A  prerequisite  to  realise  PE  activities  is  the  ability  to 
communicate about science and research in an understandable and relevant manner.  

  Opportunities brought by Public Engagement 

Research, evaluation and impact assessment practices of PE activities have revealed many 
opportunities  generated  from  engaging  societal  actors  in  R&I.  Some  of  these  advantages 
and opportunities have also been highlighted by the country representatives who attended 
the first MLE meeting in Brussels in January 2024. These include:  

•  Enhancing inclusivity and responsiveness to the needs and values of diverse groups. 

• 

Including  new  perspectives  and  multi-disciplinary  knowledge  in  order  to  achieve 
scientific progress and better alignment to societal needs. 

• 

Improving the quality of policy decisions.   

•  Fostering trust and legitimacy for research and policy decisions. 

• 

Increasing  understanding  of  the  relevance  of  science  in  society  and  creating 
opportunities for people to discuss and participate in research. 

•  Contributing  to  research literacy  and  the  capacity  to critically  evaluate  and  take  part  in 

scientific discussions. 

•  Leveraging the vast societal intelligence and capabilities to conduct excellent R&I. 

11 

 
•  Enabling  and  empowering  citizens,  and  enhancing  the  democratic  quality  of  research 

governance. 

  The importance of facilitation 

A  professional  and  sound  facilitation  of  the  processes  described  above  is  key  to  their 
success,  as  well  as  for  avoiding  conflicts  and  misunderstandings  during  the  dialogue  and 
interaction sessions. PE should not be improvised. On the contrary, it should be conducted 
with  expertise  and  skills  so  as  to  be  able  to  select  the  most  adequate  methodological 
approach,  adapt  it  to  the  local  context,  properly  facilitate  interactions  with  the  public 
(especially  when  touching  upon  controversial  topics),  and  evaluate  and  interpret  the 
outcomes. Several private and public not-for-profit institutions all over Europe offer specific 
expertise  in  relation  to  PE.  A  detailed  mapping  of  European  PE  enablers  will  soon  be 
available on the online platform of the EU-funded project REINFORCING.6 

  The importance of inclusion 

To meet European and global societal challenges, higher education and R&I are absolutely 
essential.  Openness,  collaboration  and  coordinated  efforts  are  needed  to  maximise  the 
outputs  and  impact  of  R&I  investments.  Understanding,  trust  and  engagement  by  citizens 
and stakeholders are the other keys to success  – as well as fundamental cornerstones of 
democratic societies. 

It is therefore imperative to develop and use methods for including and engaging not only 
those already interested but also people that do not habitually participate in R&I processes. 
This  aspect  will  be  specifically  addressed  during  the  third  MLE  meeting  on  framework 
conditions for PE. 

3.  Inspiring policies in support on Public Engagement  

There are several policies, frameworks and strategies that promote PE in R&I at global, as 
well  as  at  European  and  national  levels.  This  section  gives  an  overview  of  some  key 
elements. 

As already mentioned, PE is a part of the wider umbrella concept of Open Science, which 
encompasses  global  efforts  towards  making  R&I  more  accessible,  transparent,  and 
inclusive.  Examples  of  other  priorities  included  in  the  Open  Science  concept  are  Open 
Access to scientific publications as well as Open Data and Open Resources (research data, 
education resources, software, and hardware). 

6 https://www.reinforcing.eu/  

12 

 
 
Figure 1: Open Science  
Source: Lotta W Tomasson/VA CC BY-NC 2.0 

  Global policies and frameworks 

There are a number of global initiatives that promote PE. These are described below. 

3.1.1.  The UNESCO Recommendations on Open Science 

In  2021,  UNESCO’s  193  Member  States  adopted  a  Recommendation  on  Open  Science.7 
The  Recommendation  defines  Open  Science  as  an  inclusive  construct  that  combines  a 
multitude  of  movements  and  practices  aimed  at  making  multi-lingual  scientific  knowledge 
openly reachable and accessible for use by all.  

This creates preconditions for increased research collaboration and information-sharing, to 
the  benefit  of  both  science  and  society.  It  also  creates  opportunities  to  take  part  in  the 
development,  evaluation  and  communication  of  science-based  knowledge  with  different 
societal  actors.  Open  Science  covers  all  scientific  disciplines  and  aspects  of  scientific 
practices. It is based on four fundamental pillars:  open scientific knowledge, open science 
infrastructures,  open  engagement  of  societal  actors  which  include  PE,  and  open  dialogue 
with other knowledge systems.  

One  of  its  main  missions  is  to  promote  the  inclusion  of  traditionally  underrepresented 
groups (women, minorities, etc.) and bridge existing gaps among countries. 

7 https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000379949.locale=en 

13 

 
  
 
 
 
 
Figure 2: Open Science pillars  
Source: UNESCO/ CC BY-SA 4.0 DEED 

3.1.2.  The OECD Initiative on Innovative Citizen Participation and on PE in 

Innovation Policies 

Innovative  practices  of  PE  have  been  explored  and  supported  for  several  years  by  the 
OECD  through  its  focus  on  Open  Government.  The  OECD  sees  “the  use  of  deliberative 
processes  for  public  decision  making  as  a  key  part  of  the  OECD’s  work  on  open 
government, which examines the trends of declining trust in government, citizen demands 
for more openness, transparency, accountability, integrity, and stakeholder engagement.”8 

The  OECD  has  been  developing  several  useful  resources  around  the  topic,  such  as  for 
example  the  Evaluation  Guidelines  for  Representative  Deliberative  Processes,  and  a 
Deliberative Democracy Toolbox. Through its Open Government Unit, the OECD has also 
created  a  network  of  practitioners,  academics,  researchers,  civil  servants  and  designers 
Participation. 
with 

competences 

Innovative 

Citizen 

in 

In 2017, the OECD Directorate for Science, Technology and Innovation promoted the policy 
paper “Open Research Agenda Setting”9, in which seven initiatives across the world aiming 
to  engage  citizens  in  the  co-design  of  research  agendas  were  analysed;  and  from  which 

8 The website of the Innovative Citizen Participation initiative: https://www.oecd.org/governance/innovative-
citizen-participation/  
9https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/science-and-technology/open-research-agenda-setting_74edb6a8-en 

14 

 
 
 
 
 
 
emerged  several 
researchers interested in citizen engagement in science. 

lessons 

learned 

to  support  policymakers,  research 

funders  and 

In a more recent policy paper, the OECD has highlighted that “innovation policies need to 
be  socially  embedded  for  them  to  effectively  contribute  to  addressing  major  societal 
challenges.  Engaging  citizens  in  innovation  policymaking  can  help  define  long-term  policy 
priorities, enhance the quality and legitimacy of policy decisions, and increase the visibility 
of innovation in society.”10 The authors discuss why, when, and how best to engage citizens 
in  innovation  policymaking,  and  acknowledge  that  it  can  be  challenging.  This  is  because 
citizens  often  see  innovation  policy  as  a  domain  for  experts,  disconnected  from  their 
everyday  lives.  Moreover,  increasing  consultation  requests  might  result  in  “consultation 
fatigue.” 

3.1.3.  The World Bank support to Citizen Engagement 

Similarly  to  UNESCO  and  the  OECD,  the  World  Bank  has  been  acknowledging  and 
supporting the critical role that PE can take towards contributing to innovative solutions to 
complex development challenges. In 2014, the World Bank adopted a Strategic Framework 
for Mainstreaming Citizen Engagement in World Bank Group (WBG) Operations. As part of 
this strategic framework, the WBG has been “working with governments to build political will 
for  citizen  engagement  and  social  accountability,  and  adopt  a  culture  of  openness, 
transparency,  participation,  accountability  and  institutionalised  power-sharing,  all  of  which 
contribute 
to  enhanced  development  effectiveness.”  Several  examples  of  citizen 
engagement  and  social  accountability  actions  all  over  the  world  are  described  on  their 
website,11 listing results and lessons learned, as well as partners involved. 

3.1.4.  The Aarhus Convention 

Despite  dating  back  to  1998,  the  Aarhus  Convention  on  access  to  information,  public 
participation  in  decision-making  and  access  to  justice  in  environmental  matters,  still 
represents a stepping stone in the evolution of the PE concept.12 The Convention, initiated 
by  the  United  Nations  Economic  Commission  for  Europe  (UNECE),  was  signed  by  27 
Member  States,  and  guarantees  the  public  key  rights  within  environmental  issues.  The 
second pillar focuses on public participation in decision-making, providing “a framework for 
the public to take part in decisions relating to the environment at an early stage, and thus 
making the project, development or plan more likely to be acceptable, more sustainable and 
less damaging to the environment.” 

3.1.5.  The Global Research Council’s Statement of Principles on PE 

“Public  engagement  offers  the  possibility  of  enhancing  the  relationship  between  science 
and  society  through  enabling  inclusion,  facilitating  participation,  widening  the  integrity  of 
research, obviating unwarranted attacks against science, and supporting public investments 
in  scientific  research.”  This  is  part  of  the  Statement  of  Principles  on  Public  Engagement 
adopted  by  the  Global  Research  Council  in  2020.  The  Council  is  a  virtual  organisation, 
comprising the heads of science and engineering funding agencies worldwide.  

The statement contains six principles, among them (in short): Recognise extensions in the 
portfolios  of  public  funding  agencies  towards  including  the  funding  of  PE,  agree  that 

10 Engaging citizens in innovation policy. Why, when and how? (OECD 2023): 
https://www.oecd.org/publications/engaging-citizens-in-innovation-policy-ba068fa6-en.htm 
11 https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/citizen-engagement#2 
12 The full text of the Aarhus Convention: https://www.unece.org/env/pp/treatytext.html  

15 

 
 
knowledge co-creation takes place at all stages of the research process, and acknowledge 
that  monitoring,  evaluating,  and  learning  metrics  for  PE  will  assist  funding  agencies  in 
adapting to their organisational capabilities. 

  European policies 

The European Union is a major European actor encouraging, promoting, and requiring PE 
in several ways. 

3.2.1.  Open Science as a legal obligation under Horizon Europe 

PE in R&I has been a priority area within the European Framework Programmes for a long 
time.  Already  in  2003,  within  the  context  of  its  Sixth  Framework  Programme  (FP6),  the 
European  Commission  launched  a  “Science  and  Society”  dedicated  service  to  provide 
guidelines  on  cross-cutting  subjects  covered  within  the  topic13.  Within  FP6,  “Science  and 
Society”  was  already  recognised  as  a  research  field  on  its  own.  The  focus  on  the 
relationship  between  science  and  society  grew  in  the  following  Framework  Programmes: 
“Capacities”  –  Science  in  Society  (SiS,  with  a  total  budget  of  330  million  euros  in  FP7),14 
followed  by  the  “Science  with  and  for  Society”  programme  within  Horizon  2020  (H2020-
EU.5. SwafS, with a total budget of 462 million euros).15 SwafS aimed at building “effective 
cooperation  between  science  and  society,  to  recruit  new  talent  for  science  and  to  pair 
scientific excellence with social awareness and responsibility.” 

In  2016,  the  EU  Member  States  decided  to  transition  towards  an  Open  Science  policy 
which consists of eight pillars:  

1) 

the future of scholarly publishing, encouraging the sharing of research outputs. 

2)  open  data,  which  should  be  findable,  accessible,  interoperable,  and  re-usable  (FAIR 

principles). 

3) 

the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC), a set of infrastructures for data access and 
sharing. 

4)  next-generation metrics, which are alternative metrics (altmetrics) to measure the quality 

and impact of research outcomes. 

5) 

reward and incentives in career evaluation systems. 

6) 

research integrity, which means ensuring that publicly funded research in Europe  fulfils 
common standards. 

7)  education and skills that every European scientist should demonstrate. 

8)  citizen science, which means involving the public in the production of knowledge.  

13 Cordis’ announcement of the new “science and society” support service: 
https://cordis.europa.eu/article/id/20682-cordis-launches-fp6-science-and-society-service  
14 A list of all projects funded under the FP7 Capacities science in society programme can be found here: 
https://cordis.europa.eu/search?q=contenttype%3D%27project%27%20AND%20programme%2Fcode%3D
%27FP7-SIS%27&p=1&num=10&srt=/project/contentUpdateDate:decreasing  
15 A list of all projects funded under the H2020 Science with and for Society programme can be found here:  
https://cordis.europa.eu/search?q=contenttype%3D%27project%27%20AND%20programme%2Fcode%3D
%27H2020-EU.5.%27&p=1&num=10&srt=/project/contentUpdateDate:decreasing  

16 

 
 
In 2021, a Council Recommendation on a Pact for Research and Innovation in Europe set 
out,  as  an  ERA  priority  area  for  action,  supporting  and  rewarding  a  true  Open  Science 
culture across the Union. It underscored the importance of societal responsibility as one of 
the  principles  underpinning  R&I  in  Europe  and  emphasised  that  PE  in  the  design  and 
implementation of relevant policies can lead to greater societal and environmental impact, 
and also increase trust in science.16  

In  2022,  Council  Conclusions  on  Research  Assessment  and  the  Implementation  of  Open 
Science17 acknowledged that “in order to accelerate the implementation and the impact of 
Open  Science  policies  and  practices  across  Europe,  action  has  to  be  taken  to  move 
towards  a  renewed  approach  to  research  assessment,  including  incentive  and  reward 
schemes,  to  put in  place  a European  approach  in  accordance  with  the  Pact  for Research 
and Innovation in Europe, and strengthen capacities for academic publishing and scholarly 
communication  of  all  research  outputs,  and  encourage  where  appropriate,  the  use  of 
multilingualism for the purpose of wider communication of European research results.”  

HE  has  made  Open  Science  a  legal  obligation  for  all  projects  applying  for  funding. 
Therefore,  the  presence  and  the  quality  of  Open  Science  features  are  evaluated  in  the 
proposals  competing  for  grants  under  the  excellence  criterion.  Despite  the  absence  of  a 
dedicated  service  or  work  programme,  HE  devotes  significant  resources  to  analysing  and 
promoting institutional and territorial changes in support of PE. In fact, the engagement of 
citizens  and  civil  society  organisations  have  become  a  strategic  goal  for  the  whole 
framework programme.18 PE takes many shapes within current funding calls, often referring 
to  specific  methodological  approaches  rather  than  the  general  concept.  Applicants  for EU 
funding  encounter  more  and  more  references  to  the  need  for  co-design,  co-creation, 
participatory  governance,  community-led  innovation,  stakeholder  engagement,  societal 
engagement  and  Social  Sciences  and  Humanities  (SSH)  actions  –  which  often  converge 
towards  participatory  exercises  within  R&I  activities.  PE  is  equally  at  the  heart  of  the 
implementation  of  the  current  EU  Missions.19  Lastly,  there  is  a  specific  work  programme, 
WIDERA  (Widening  participation  and  strengthening  the  European  Research  Area),  which 
among  other  things  aims  to  boost  the  development  of  interactions  between  science  and 
other societal actors.20 

3.2.2.  The evolving concept of PE within EU Policy: from RRI to ORRI 

PE  is  one  of  the  pillars  of  Responsible  research  and  innovation  (RRI).  The  term  first 
appeared within  European  Commission  policies  around  the  year  2010  and  became  a  key 
reference  during  the  transition  from  the  seventh  (FP7)  to  the  Horizon  2020  framework 
programme. RRI is about conducting R&I in ways that consider societal needs, challenges 
and  effects  throughout  the  whole  R&I  process.  It  also  includes  ensuring  that  R&I  is 
accepted by everyone concerned and that it contributes to sustainable development.21 

16 Council Recommendation on a Pact for Research and Innovation in Europe (2021): 
https://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-13701-2021-INIT/en/pdf 
17 https://www.consilium.europa.eu/media/56958/st10126-en22.pdf 
18 KIP 6 - Strengthening the uptake of research and innovation in society. 
Institutional changes towards responsible research and innovation (2020): 
https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/582ef256-cbcc-11ea-adf7-01aa75ed71a1 
19 EU Missions & citizen engagement activities: https://research-and-
innovation.ec.europa.eu/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-open-calls/horizon-
europe/eu-missions-horizon-europe/eu-missions-citizen-engagement-activities_en 
20 https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/eu-budget/performance-and-reporting/results-project_en 
21 Practical guide to RRI developed by the EU project RRI Tools: https://rri-
tools.eu/documents/10184/16301/RRI+Tools.+A+practical+guide+to+Responsible+Research+and+Innovatio
n.+Key+Lessons+from+RRI+Tools 

17 

 
 
RRI is defined as involving interactive and transparent processes, in which innovative and 
social  actors  take  responsibility  for  the  ethics,  sustainability  and  social  desirability  of  the 
research  or  innovation  process,  and  its  commercialisation  and  integration  into  society. 
Different  actors  should  be  involved  through  dialogues,  discussions,  and  debates.  By  the 
open process, diverse opinions can be considered for responsible R&I, tailoring responses 
to the needs and values of different actors, based on specific purposes and circumstances. 

RRI is an umbrella term that covers various aspects of R&I: Ethics (holding research to high 
ethical  standards);  ensuring  Gender  Equality  in  the  scientific  community,  in  the  way 
scientific  research  is  conducted  and  displayed  as  well  as  in  groups  taking  part  in 
participatory  activities;  Governance  of  R&I  with  the  responsibility  to  avoid  harmful  effects; 
performing  PE  strengthening  (participatory)  links  between  science  and  society;  fostering 
Open  Access  to  scientific  data  and  publications;  and  ensuring  that  citizens  have  the 
necessary  knowledge  to  understand  R&I  and  its  implications  by  furthering  Science 
Communication and Education. 

In recent years there is a growing use of ORRI, meaning Open and Responsible Research 
and Innovation. Focusing more and more on the different approaches from Open Science 
and  RRI,  ORRI aims  at  concretising  the  democratic  governance  of  R&I  in  which  PE  is  an 
essential feature. 

3.2.3.  A new European Research Area (ERA) 

The ERA  aims  to  increase  collaboration  between  national  research  systems  and  ensure 
better  policy  coordination  among  EU  Member  States.  The  ERA  was  renewed  in  2020, 
starting  with  the  adoption  of  the European  Commission’s  Communication  on  “A  new  ERA 
for Research and Innovation”.22 The ERA’s ambition is to better address societal, ecological 
and economic challenges, based on three pillars: new ERA governance involving the ERA 
Forum;  adoption  of  a Pact  for Research  and  Innovation  in Europe;  and  a  new ERA Policy 
Agenda23 with  20  concrete  ERA  actions.  Number  14  of  these  actions  is  ‘Bring  science 
closer  to  citizens’  which  encompasses  policy  initiatives  and  activities  to  increase  science 
and  society  exchanges  and  dialogue,  among  these  the  ongoing  MLE  on  Public 
Engagement on R&I in Europe. 

3.2.4. 

 The Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment (CoARA) 

The  Coalition  for  Advancing  Research  Assessment  (CoARA)  is  an  initiative  by  the 
European Commission. Reforming  research assessment is a priority for the ERA and one 
of the actions in the ERA Policy Agenda for 2022–24. An agreement on reforming research 
assessment  has  been  jointly  drafted  by  universities,  academies,  authorities,  learned 
societies, funding bodies etc. Until February 2024 688 organisations had signed it. 24 

The agreement sets a shared direction for changes in assessment practices for research, 
researchers  and  research  performing  organisations,  with  the  goal  to  maximise  the  quality 
and  impact  of  research.  Signatories  commit  to  the  common  vision  that  the  assessment 
recognises  the  diverse  outputs,  practices  and  activities  that  maximise  the  quality  and 
impact of research.  

22 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=COM%3A2020%3A628%3AFIN 
23 https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/document/download/0c2f5f95-3274-4ab8-9acb-
d6673dc238b8_en?filename=ec_rtd_era-policy-agenda-2021.pdf 
24 Agreement on Reforming Research Assessment: 
https://coara.eu/app/uploads/2022/09/2022_07_19_rra_agreement_final.pdf 

18 

 
 
3.2.5.  Knowledge valorisation 

Knowledge  valorisation  refers  to  the  process  of  creating  economic  and  social  value 
from knowledge by linking different areas and sectors and by transforming data, know-
how  and  research  results  into  products,  services,  solutions,  and  policies  that  benefit 
society. It contributes to implementing priorities of the ERA (ERA Policy Agenda 2022–
2024 Action 7 ‘Upgrade EU guidance for a better knowledge valorisation’), in particular 
the  Council  Recommendation  on  the  Guiding  Principles  for  Knowledge  Valorisation 
adopted in 2022. 

The  Guiding  Principles25  encourage  organisations  to  engage  all  actors  in  the  R&I 
ecosystem,  focus  on  the  connections  and  co-creation  between  actors,  emphasise 
entrepreneurial  skills  and  practices,  and  cover  the  full  range  of  knowledge  generated 
by  R&I  activities.  Furthermore,  the  European  Commission  coordinated  the  work  of  a 
Community  of  Practice  in  2023,  which  informed  the  preparation  of  a  new  Code  of 
Practice  for  knowledge  valorisation  through  citizen  engagement,  just  launched26.  A 
dedicated  MLE  was  equally  launched  in  2023  (as  part  of  the  ERA  Policy  Agenda 
Action 7).27  

Moreover, arts and cultural organisations have specific competences to strengthen PE 
and  the  valorisation  of  knowledge.  A  report  from  2022  on  Fostering  knowledge 
valorisation  through  the  arts  and  cultural  institutions28  distinguishes  settings  where 
these organisations especially contribute to knowledge valorisation:  

•  Research where arts actors can feed R&I during the scoping phase.  

• 

Intermediation  where  arts  actors  can  facilitate  the  connection  between  stakeholder 
groups. 

•  Engagement where arts actors can offer spaces for experimentation and exchanges. 

•  Dissemination where arts actors can communicate in creative and innovative ways. 

  National and regional frameworks 

More  and  more  EU  Member  States  and  Associated  Countries  have  been  adopting 
references  to  Open  Science  or  ORRI  in  their  national  strategies  for  R&I.  Success  in 
stimulating PE practices strongly depends on research policy developments and framework 
conditions,  such  as  institutional  and  infrastructural  support,  training  and  skills  for 
researchers  and  public  officials,  and  funding  requirements  and  rewards  schemes  for 

25https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/research-area/industrial-research-and-innovation/eu-
valorisation-policy/knowledge-valorisation-platform/guiding-principles-knowledge-valorisation-implementing-
codes-practice_en 
26  https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/news/all-research-and-innovation-news/new-codes-practice-
industry-academia-co-creation-and-citizen-engagement-knowledge-valorisation-2024-03-05_en 
27  The MLE ‘Knowledge Valorisation – Focus on Skills, Intersectoral Cooperation and Incentive Systems’, 
examines certain aspects of public engagement in terms of uptake and use of R&I results: 
https://projects.research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/en/statistics/policy-support-facility/psf-
challenge/mutual-learning-exercise-knowledge-valorisation-focus-skills-intersectoral-cooperation-and-
incentive 
28https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/869b8d8c-657a-11ed-9f85-
01aa75ed71a1/language-en 

19 

 
 
researchers.  Framework  conditions  for  PE  will  be  further  explored  under  topic  3  of  this 
MLE. 

Some  European  countries  as  well  as  regional  and  national  organisations  have  adopted 
specific PE Strategies and other policy measures. Examples are provided below. 

3.3.1.  UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Public Engagement Strategy 

The  United  Kingdom  has  been  a  PE  role  model  for  many  years.  Governmental  initiatives 
have  helped  to  further  the  involvement  of  stakeholders  including  citizens  in  R&I.  Many 
universities also have specific units devoted to PE. 

The main funding body, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), adopted a new PE strategy29 
in 2022 with three main goals: 

•  Build a sense of shared endeavour by making R&I relevant and accessible to all.  

•  Make sure the benefits of R&I are shared widely by supporting collaboration and valuing 

diverse forms of knowledge.  

•  Create opportunities for all by inspiring and engaging the next generation. 

UKRI  also  supports  the  Sciencewise  programme30  helping  decision  makers  to  formulate 
socially informed policy, with a particular emphasis on science and technology.  

3.3.2.  The Spanish National Strategy for Open Science  

The  Spanish  National  Strategy  for  Open  Science  (ENCA)  2023–202731  provides  an 
overview  of  commitments  relating  to  Open  Science,  adopted  by  different  public  agents  in 
the  system.  The  strategy  affirms  that  both  Ministries  of  Science  and  of  universities 
acknowledge  the  importance  of  participation  in  R&I,  including  the  involvement  of  civil 
society in scientific processes. It also states that “societal participation in research activities 
should be open at all stages, including citizen science”. One of ENCA’s six key dimensions 
is citizen science and the general participation of society in all phases of research activities, 
bringing scientific results closer to the public. 

Spain’s  Organic  Law  2/2023  of  22  March  on  the  University  System  (LOSU)  focuses  in 
Article 12 on the “Promotion of Open Science and Citizen Science.”  

3.3.3.  The Flemish Science Agenda (Belgium) 

The  Flemish  Science  Agenda32  is  a  strategic  document  of  the  Flanders  Research 
Foundation, the public funding agency for R&I in the Flemish region of Belgium, which built 
upon  10,559  ‘ask  for  science’  questions  submitted  by  Flemish  citizens  in  2018.  Scientific 
panels accommodated the questions in 82 overarching topics which reflect the issues that 
concern  the  people  of  Flanders.  The  topics  were  then  bundled  into  five  categories:  Well-
being  and  health,  Liveable  society,  Liveable  earth,  Foundations  and  boundaries,  and  the 

29 The UKRI Public Engagement Strategy: https://www.ukri.org/publications/ukri-public-engagement-strategy/ 
30 https://sciencewise.org.uk/ 
31 More information on the ENCA: https://www.ciencia.gob.es/en/Estrategias-y-
Planes/Estrategias/ENCA.html 
32 The full text: https://www.fwo.be/media/1023943/vwa_booklet_eng.pdf 

20 

 
 
Significance and role of science. The resulting inspiration document is to be used by public 
authorities, researchers, and citizens.  

3.3.4.  The Dutch Research Agenda  

The Netherlands has a National Research Agenda (NWA)33 which was realised through co-
design  processes  under  the  auspices  of  the  Dutch  Research  Council,  with  the  input  of 
citizens and scientists.34 In 2018, the NWA was implemented by the Council on assignment 
from the Department of Education, Science and Culture. It promotes connections between 
science  and  society  by  fostering  scientific  and  societal  breakthroughs,  encouraging 
interdisciplinary  collaborations,  and  involving  societal  partners  and  the  public  in  research 
processes.  It  also  emphasises  strengthening  dialogue  through  targeted  communication, 
outreach  activities,  and  citizen  science.  The  Council  organises  events  as  well  as  the  call 
‘Science  Communication’,  funding  projects  that  aim  to  strengthen  the  connection  between 
science  and  society  by  offering  new  science  communication  concepts  to  target  groups 
without obvious links with science.35 

3.3.5.  Open Science Netherlands 

Open Science NL36 is a programme aiming at promoting and accelerating the transition to 
Open  Science  in  the  Netherlands,  making  it  the  norm  within  ten  years.  Key  tasks  are  to 
“identify,  prioritise  and  fund  temporary  initiatives  and  projects  aimed  at  sustainably 
anchoring  Open  Science  in  the  Netherlands,”  and  to  “provide  a  forum  for  knowledge 
sharing  and  stimulate  exchange  through  communities  of  practice”.  It  builds  upon  the 
National  Programme  Open  Science,  which  developed  the  ambitions  for  Open  Science  in 
the Netherlands by 2030 through an open consultation.37 Open Science NL was launched 
in  2023  and  is  part  of  the  Dutch  Research  Council.  It  has  five  priority  areas,  (including 
citizen  science/societal  engagement),  each  coupled  with  at 
funding 
instrument.38 The total annual funding is 20 million euros. 

least  one 

3.3.6.  The Slovenian Action Plan for Open Science 

The  Slovenian  Action  Plan  for  Open  Science  prescribes  how  a  specific  objective  in  the 
Resolution  on  the  Slovenian  Scientific  Research  and  Innovation  Strategy  2030  can  be 
realised.  How  to  reach  the  objective  “Open  Science  to  improve  the  research  quality, 
efficiency,  and  responsiveness  of  the  Resolution”  is  described  in  this  key  strategic 
document.39 It lists the main activities in the field of Open Science. Several of the objectives 
and priorities connect to PE, such as actions aimed at developing citizen science and public 
involvement in scientific research. 

33 https://www.nwo.nl/en/researchprogrammes/dutch-research-agenda-nwa 
34  The  Dutch  knowledge  community,  united  in  the  Knowledge  Coalition,  grouped  almost  12,000  questions 
sent  in  by  citizens  in  140  research  cluster  questions  –  namely  complex  and  urgent  issues  that  require 
research and innovation answers. Twenty-five routes (self-organising networks of institutions, organisations 
and  people)  investigated  a  few  of  these  cluster  questions.  The  routes  play  an  important  role  in  the  NWA, 
fostering innovation in the scientific agenda, the involvement of the entire knowledge chain and the bringing 
together of relevant parties. 
35 https://www.nwo.nl/en/calls/nwa-science-communication-2024 
36 https://www.openscience.nl/en 
37 https://zenodo.org/records/7433767 
38 https://www.openscience.nl/en/news/open-science-nl-presents-work-programme-for-2024-and-2025 
39 The full text: 
https://www.gov.si/assets/ministrstva/MVZI/Znanost/Nacionalne-strategije-in-dokumenti/2023-Action-Plan-
Open-Science-Slovenia.pdf 

21 

 
 
3.3.7.  Swedish guidelines on Open Science  

National  recommendations  on  Open  Science40  have  been  elaborated  by  the  National 
Library  of  Sweden,  in  collaboration  with  R&I  stakeholders.  The  guidelines  published  in 
January 2024 encompass six areas: Open access to scholarly publications, Open access to 
research data, Open research methods, Open Educational Resources, PE in Science, and 
Infrastructures  supporting  Open  Science.  The  guidelines  stress  that  public  engagement  is 
an  important  aspect  of  Open  Science  to  foster  knowledge  exchange  that  benefits  both 
science and society.  

3.3.8.  Norwegian Research Council’s Policy for Open Science 

The Research Council of Norway has adopted a policy for Open Science,41 which includes 
Open  Science  processes,  open  innovation  and  involvement,  and  citizen  science.  The 
council is a partner in the EU-funded project PRO-Ethics, focusing on how research funding 
organisations  can  try  out  ethical  ways  to  involve  citizens  and  societal  actors  in  decision-
making  processes.  The  project  has  developed  a  framework  and  guidelines  for  sound 
involvement processes.42 

4.  Inspiring public engagement projects, initiatives and resources  

There  are  numerous  projects  at  European,  national,  and  local  levels  which  promote, 
develop  and  experiment  with  PE,  leading  to  a  vast  portfolio  of  methods,  activities  and 
lessons learned. This chapter gives a flavour of this richness by describing a few interesting 
examples. 

  Projects and initiatives 

In the following sections, examples of inspiring projects within each of the identified types of 
PE are described.  

4.1.1.  Co-design 

4.1.1.1.  Germany: Citizens’ Council Research 

In order to strengthen PE and citizen participation in research policy, the German Federal 
Ministry of Education and Research invited 55 randomly selected citizens from a variety of 
societal groups to form the ‘citizens’ council research’ (Bürgerrat Forschung). The objective 
was to develop guiding principles and recommendations for policymakers and researchers 
in order to make future participation processes more attractive and accessible for citizens. 
The results were distilled in a citizens’ report (Bürgergutachten), which was published and 
presented to the Ministry of Education and Research in 2022.43 

40 https://kb.se/samverkan-och-utveckling/nytt-fran-kb/nyheter-samverkan-och-utveckling/2024-01-15-
national-guidelines-for-promoting-open-science-in-sweden.html 
41 https://www.forskningsradet.no/en/research-policy-strategy/open-science/policy/ 
42 https://pro-ethics.eu/news/new-ethics-framework-is-available 
43 https://www.buergerrat.de/en/news/more-citizen-participation-in-research/ 

22 

 
 
 
4.1.1.2.  France: The National Citizen Convention for Climate 

The Citizens’ Convention on Climate44 was a deliberative exercise in 2019 and 2020, where 
150  randomly  selected  French  citizens’  opinions  and  recommendations  to  national 
policymakers  were  collected.  Participants  were  asked  to  define  a  set  of  measures  that 
would  allow  France  to  achieve  a  reduction  of  at  least  40  percent  of  greenhouse  gas 
emissions by 2030 (compared to 1990) in a spirit of social justice. 

4.1.1.3. 

Ireland: Creating Our Future 

Creating  Our  Future45  was  a  governmental  campaign  to  stimulate  a  national  conversation 
on research that generated over 18,000 ideas from the Irish public. The submissions were 
analysed and synthesised into 16 thematic areas, leading to an ‘Expert Committee Report', 
launched in 2022, and a database of ideas that will help to inspire future research.  

4.1.1.4.  Denmark: Consensus Conferences  

The  Consensus  Conference46  is  a  democratic  method  for  collecting  qualified  inputs  from 
citizens to a decision-making process. The citizens receive information about a topic, form 
and discuss their opinions, and consult experts with the aim of reaching consensus on a list 
of  policy  recommendations.  The  selected  citizens  represent  a  wide  range  of  lived 
the  topic,  and  also  have  various 
experiences  without  professional  knowledge  of 
backgrounds.  The  method  is  especially  well  suited  for  involving  citizens  in  technical, 
controversial, and complex problems. 

The  Consensus  Conference  concept  was  created  in  the  United  States  in  the  1960’s  and 
was initially used to resolve issues around emerging biomedical technologies. Since 1987, 
Consensus Conferences have been organised in Denmark. The method has been applied 
successfully  over  the  years  on  subjects  such  as  gene  technology,  GMOs,  edu-tech, 
mobility, treatment of infertility, environment, surveillance and much more. 

4.1.1.5. 

Italy: Citizens’ Jury on Responsible Smart Mobility 

In  2022,  a  Citizens'  Jury  engaged  24  Lombardy  citizens,  selected  according  to  specific 
socio-demographics  criteria,  to  learn,  discuss  and  deliberate  about  regional  Responsible 
Smart  Mobility  (a  key  theme  of  the  Lombardy  Smart  Specialisation  Strategy).  Jurors 
provided  specific  recommendations  on  how  to  insert  responsibility  issues  like  privacy  and 
profiling,  digital  and  economic  inclusion,  and  accessibility,  in  preparation  of  a  Lombardy 
Region  Call  for  Innovation  Projects  on  local  mobility  data-driven  services.  Citizens’ 
recommendations  have  been  included  as  a  requirement  for applicants  to  consider in  their 
project  proposals  and  in  the  execution  of  the  winning  projects.  The  deliberative  exercise 
was part of the EU Horizon 2020 project TRANSFORM.47 

4.1.1.6.  EU: the VOICES project 

VOICES was a ground-breaking consultation, using the opinions of people across the EU to 
shape  the  future  of  European  research  related  to  urban  waste  and  innovation.  1,000 
citizens participated in focus groups run by science museums and science centres all over 
Europe, expressing their hopes, fears, concerns, and ideas. The results of the consultation 

44 https://www.conventioncitoyennepourleclimat.fr/en/ 
45 https://www.creatingourfuture.ie 
46 https://participedia.net/method/163 
47 https://www.transform-project.eu 

23 

 
 
have  informed  policy  and  were  fed  into  several  research  calls  for  the  Horizon  2020 
framework programme.48 

4.1.1.7.  EU: the CIMULACT project 

The EU-funded CIMULACT project49 engaged citizens, along with a variety of other societal 
actors, in redefining the European R&I agenda in the context of Horizon 2020. The project 
engaged  more  than  1,000  citizens  in  30  European  countries  to  formulate  their  visions  for 
desirable sustainable futures. These visions were debated, further developed together with 
other actors, and transformed into recommendations for future R&I policies and topics.  

4.1.2.  Co-creation 

4.1.2.1.  EU: Co-creating solutions for climate-neutral cities  

Within the context of the EU-funded MOSAIC project, the cities of Milan (IT) and Göteborg 
(SE)  executed  a  quadruple-helix  co-creation  process  to  address  challenges  in  relation  to 
climate  neutrality.50  Through  a  facilitated  process  which  lasted  several  months,  citizens 
together  with  city  representatives,  researchers  and  private  companies,  developed  shared 
solutions  to  challenges  such  as  achieving  more  sustainable  mobility  and  better  access  to 
information  in  relation  to  air  quality.  These  solutions  brought  a  deeper  understanding  of 
socially acceptable innovations which cities should and will develop in the future. 

4.1.2.2.  Flanders: the Amai! Project 

The  project  'Amai!'51  (Flemish  exclamation  for  'wow!')  aims  to  involve  citizens  in  the 
development of new AI applications, by bringing together citizens, civil society organisations 
and AI experts around four themes (climate, mobility, health and work) with an overarching 
theme  of  digital  inclusion.  It  aims  to  make  people  not  particularly  interested  in  technology 
reflect  about  AI  through  topics  that  concern  them  and  to  co-create  relevant  solutions. 
Almost 1,000 ideas for AI solutions have been submitted over three years and 14 of them 
are  now  being  realised.  The  project  is  run  by  the  Flemish  knowledge  centre  for  Citizen 
Science, together with the Knowledge Centre Data & Society in Flanders, Belgium. 

4.1.2.3.  EU: ORION Open Science 

The  ORION  Open  Science  EU  project  (2017–2021)  aimed  to  explore  different  ways  of 
opening  the  research  process  and  R&I  funding  schemes  within  the  life  sciences,  and  to 
bring in perspectives from society. Co-creation experiments involving multiple stakeholders 
were conducted around three challenges: opening up the research engine; identifying risks 
and opportunities presented by disruptive technologies; and running citizen science projects 
in fundamental research.52  

4.1.2.4.  The Netherlands and beyond: Science Shops 

Science Shops were first established in the Netherlands in the 1970s. Their main aim is to 
assist  community-based  social  organisations,  NGOs  and/or  individuals  in  solving  specific 
scientific-societal  problems.  Through  participatory  research  new  knowledge  is  developed 
with  and  for  organisations  and  people  that  otherwise  do  not  have  access  to  research. 

48 https://voicesproject.eu 
49 https://www.cimulact.eu 
50 https://mosaic-mission.eu/pilots 
51 https://amai.vlaanderen/ 
52 https://www.orion-openscience.eu/ 

24 

 
 
Science  Shops  are often  located  within  a  university  and their  services  are free  of  charge. 
Science  Shops  have  been  established  in  many  countries,  including  Belgium,  Germany, 
Ireland, Lithuania, and Slovenia. There is also an international network for science shops: 
the Living Knowledge.53 

4.1.3.  Co-assessment 

4.1.3.1. 

Ireland: #DiscussAI 

‘Think-ins’ are part of the collaborative #DiscussAI programme in Ireland. This programme 
of  public  events  about  AI  and  how  the  technology  impacts  our lives  and  society  is  run  by 
ADAPT,  a  multi-disciplinary  Irish  research  centre  for  AI  driven  technology.  Through  the 
#DiscussAI programme, ADAPT researchers seek to engage communities and individuals 
across the country in conversations that raise and answer questions and generate ideas for 
new  research.  The  evaluation  approach  of  the  Think-ins  has  been  co-created  with 
participants, including citizens, who were also involved in the evaluation process.54 

4.1.4.  Science Communication 

In order for PE exercises to succeed, science communication skills are needed to make the 
topic accessible. Science events and festivals organised to inform and inspire people often 
offer  a  mix  of  communication  and  engagement  activities.  This  section  offers  two  national 
examples, although similar kinds of events are organised in many countries. In addition, two 
capacity building initiatives are briefly described.  

4.1.4.1.  Sweden: Researchers’ Friday  

This national science festival takes place annually the last week of September in 30 cities 
across  Sweden  and  online.  The  festival  has  been  organised  as  part  of  the  European 
Researchers’ Night since 2006 and is coordinated by VA (Public & Science). Key activities 
include:  

•  Researchers’  Grand  Prix,  a  competition  that  challenges  researchers  to  present  their 
research  in  a  captivating,  inspiring  and  educational  way  in  just  four  minutes.  The 
audience and expert judges jointly decide on the winner.55 

•  A  mass  experiment,  which  is  a  citizen  science  project  engaging  schools  and  citizens 

across the country.56  

•  The  ‘borrow  a  researcher’  initiative,  where  schools  and  workplaces  can  book  a 
researcher to visit them and discuss the practicalities as well as the societal context of 
their research – either in person or online.57 

4.1.4.2.  Germany: Science Years 

“Science  Years”  have  been  key  annual  events  since  2000  aiming  to  raise  awareness  of 
science  and  research  among  the  German  public  and  engage  citizens  in  dialogue.  A  new 
motto  of  every  Science  Year  connects  to  a  series  of  events,  campaigns  and  contests 

53 https://livingknowledge.org/ 
54 The full evaluation report: https://bit.ly/Think-In_Eval2023 
55 https://forskargrandprix.se/researchers-grand-prix/ 
56 https://forskarfredag.se/researchers-night/mass-experiments/ 
57 https://forskarfredag.se/european-researchers-night/borrow-a-researcher/ 

25 

 
 
throughout Germany and serves as a proving ground for innovative formats. Science Years 
are a joint initiative of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research and Wissenschaft im 
Dialog (WiD), the German organisation for science communication.  

4.1.4.3.  The Netherlands: National Expertise Centre Science & Society (NEWS) 

NEWS,  a  new  national  centre  for  science  communication  and  PE  expertise  in  the 
Netherlands,  is  to  be  launched  in  2024.  Initiated  by  the  previous  Minister  for  Science,  it 
aims  to  foster  the  connection  between  science  and  society  through  better  science 
communication58 and therefore encourages PE with science. 

4.1.4.4.  Germany: #FactoryWisskomm 

The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research launched the #FactoryWisskomm 
strategy  process  in  2020.  About  150  experts  within  science  and  communication  were 
invited  to  co-develop  recommendations  in  six  action  areas,  among  them  Participatory 
Science Communication.59 The aim of the initiative is to improve conditions for responsible 
science communication and PE, including opportunities for scientists to build such skills, the 
development  of  quality  assessment  and  evaluation,  and  the  promotion  of  innovative  and 
participatory formats. #FactoryWisskomm will continue until 2025.  

  Key ongoing EU PE projects 

Under  the  SiS  and  SwafS  programmes  in  the  seventh  and  Horizon  2020  framework 
programmes,  the  EU  supported  several  projects  on  PE  and  RRI  at  territorial  level.60  HE 
provides funding to projects developing virtual platforms offering resources and services to 
support actors within ORRI, citizen science, science communication, and Open Science.  A 
few useful examples are provided below:  

•  REINFORCING (2023–2027) is a project that will provide a one-stop hub of resources 
for ORRI, including PE tools,61 stemming from more than ten years of RRI projects and 
initiatives in Europe and beyond.  

•  The EU-citizen.science platform, resulting from an EU project,62 is now managed and 
enhanced  by  the  EU-funded  project  European  Citizen  Science  (2022–2026).  The 
platform  provides  networking  opportunities,  capacity  building,  selected  high-quality 
resources, and a database of citizen science projects. 

•  COALESCE (2023–2027)63 aims to establish a virtual European Competence Centre for 
Science  Communication  by  building  on  and  adding  to  existing  forms  of  excellence  in 
science  communication,  PE,  and  co-creation  practices.  Through  co-creation  with 
stakeholders, the project aims to transform the knowledge from projects funded through 
the  EU Science  with  and  for Society  (SwafS-19) programme,  as  well  as  other  science 
communication  projects,  into  resources  and  tools  to  achieve  evidence-based  and 
interdisciplinary science communication. 

58 https://zenodo.org/records/7808844 
59https://www.bmbf.de/bmbf/shareddocs/downloads/files/factory_wisskomm_english.pdf?__blob=publication
File&v=6 
60 An extensive analysis of all these projects: https://ec.europa.eu/newsroom/horizon2020/items/694847/en 
61 https://www.reinforcing.eu 
62 https://eu-citizen.science 
63 https://coalesceproject.eu 

26 

 
 
•  The  PATTERN64  project  (2023–2026)  will  provide  training  material  and  curricula  on 
open science for teachers and students, and training opportunities for researchers. 

  PE resources 

There is a wealth of toolkits, checklists, guides, platforms, and other resources available to 
inspire  and  help  policymakers,  organisations  and  individuals  to  work  with  PE.  A  few 
examples are provided below:  

•  The  Competence  Centre  for  Participatory  and  Deliberative  Democracy,65  by  the 
European  Commission’s  Joint  Research  Centre  (JRC),  aimed  at  supporting  the 
development  of  socially  robust  policy  through  citizen  engagement.  The  Centre  offers 
both a Community of Practice and a database of resources.  

•  The European Knowledge Valorisation Platform66 provides a repository of resources 
which allows searching through participatory approaches and cooperation spaces. The 
platform  also  includes  a  recent  study  on  Fostering  knowledge  valorisation  through 
citizen engagement.67 

•  The  10  Principles  of  Citizen  Science  by  the  European  Citizen  Science  Association 
(ECSA),  is  recognised  as  the  main  reference  that  describes  citizen  science  activities 
and their contribution to R&I. The principles are also translated into many languages.68 

•  The  Public  Engagement  Principles,69  developed  by  The  Berlin  School  of  Public 

Engagement and Open Science. 

•  The  European  Science  Engagement  Platform70  provides  resources,  methods,  and 

tools, hosted by the European Science Engagement Association (EUSEA). 

• 

Involvement tools71 collected by the UK-based public participation charity Involve. The 
Knowledge Base section also provides tips on how to plan and implement participation 
exercises. 

•  The  Action  Catalogue72  provided  by  the  EU-funded  Engage2020  project,  collects  a 
wide variety of engagement methods that can be selected according to several criteria.  

•  The NCCPE’s Public Engagement resources.73 

64 https://www.pattern-openresearch.eu/ 
65 https://knowledge4policy.ec.europa.eu/participatory-democracy_en 
66 https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/research-area/industrial-research-and-innovation/eu-
valorisation-policy/knowledge-valorisation-platform_en 
67 The full study: 
https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-law-and-publications/publication-detail/-/publication/a4368265-ca3f-11ee-
95d9-01aa75ed71a1  
68 https://zenodo.org/records/5127534#.YPrkNEBCRhE 
69 https://www.publicengagement.berlin/the-principles 
70 https://eusea.info/platform/about-platform-and-purpose/ 
71 https://www.involve.org.uk/resources 
72 http://actioncatalogue.eu/search 
73 https://www.publicengagement.ac.uk/resources 

27 

 
 
 
 
5.  Reflections and conclusions 

Citizens’  and  stakeholders’  contribution  to  knowledge  is  an  important  aspect  of  Open 
Science, as well as of excellent R&I. PE has become more and more visible, expected, and 
required in R&I processes in recent years. Involvement of citizens and stakeholders in such 
processes  can 
to  better  and  more  sustainable  and  acceptable  solutions, 
advancements, and innovations.  

lead 

However, PE  can  be  more  challenging  than collaborations  within  the  triple-helix  (Industry, 
Academia,  Policy)  as  it  requires  integration  of  citizens'  forms  of  knowledge,  such  as 
collective intelligence, into R&I activities, outcomes and policies.  In order for PE exercises 
to  succeed,  science  communication  skills  are  needed  to  make  the  topic  accessible  and 
engaging.  Awareness  raising  and  conversations  around  R&I  also  play  a  crucial  role  in 
opening-up  science  and  familiarising  the  public  with  research  and  key  scientific  issues. 
Such  activities  can  spark  curiosity,  boost  interest,  improve  science  literacy  and  foster 
informed decision-making, but they are less useful when the objective is to involve citizens 
and stakeholders in addressing societal concerns and topical challenges related to R&I. 

PE  needs  to  be  conducted  in  a  thorough  manner  and  should  not  be  improvised.  When 
supporting  PE,  it  is  therefore  key  to  include  instruments  such  as  dedicated  training 
opportunities  for  researchers  and  policymakers,  or  funding  in  order  to  either  foster  the 
adoption  of  the  necessary  skills  or  enable  the  engagement  of  professional  facilitators.  A 
badly  conducted  PE  process  can  lead  to  adverse  impacts  (i.e.  citizens lose  confidence  in 
participatory  processes  and/or  trust  in  institutions  conducting  bad  exercises)  but  also  to  a 
lot of frustration for those involved (i.e. researchers and civil servants). 

There is a wealth of resources and projects related to PE in Europe offering a wide range of 
support  and  tools  for  deployment.  However,  it  is  important  to  adapt  methodologies  to 
objectives,  local  conditions,  context,  and  target  groups.  The  public  can  be  very 
heterogeneous, and different ways of connecting with and involving the people are needed. 
Furthermore,  it  is  crucial  to  ensure  that  PE  processes  equally  bring  tangible  benefits  to 
citizens,  as  this  will  determine  their  interest  and  willingness  to  participate.  Such  benefits 
include  the  possibility  to  influence  R&I  policies  and  activities,  and  therefore,  for  example, 
contribute to sustainability transition.  

By  way  of  example,  citizens  are  nowadays  often  asked  (e.g.  through  consultation 
processes) to share their needs, ideas, data and potential solutions to challenges that cities 
they live in are facing. To motivate them to do so, it is imperative that their contributions are 
acknowledged  and  used.  Ideally,  they  are  also  involved  in  the  development  of  solutions. 
Furthermore,  it  is  important  to  address  issues  of  fair  compensation  and  remuneration  of 
citizens’  time  (e.g.  providing  incentives  or  rewards).  In  the  most  advanced  engaging 
experiences,  like  co-creation  for  collaborative  innovation,  shared  IPR  and  intellectual 
property management should be considered.   

Even though PE aims for equal participation, it can be challenging to reach non-privileged 
groups. Inclusivity, to ensure that the different groups of the public get an equal voice in the 
process,  should  therefore  be  a  key  aspect  when  developing  PE  activities.  During  the  first 
MLE meeting, some ideas on how to include different groups were discussed, among them 
collaborations with museums, national education agencies, local not-for-profit associations,  
libraries and schools.

28 

 
GETTING IN TOUCH WITH THE EU 

In person 
All over the European Union there are hundreds of Europe Direct centres. You can find the address of 
the centre nearest you online (european-union.europa.eu/contact-eu/meet-us_en). 

On the phone or in writing 
Europe Direct is a service that answers your questions about the European Union. 
You can contact this service: 
  by freephone: 00 800 6 7 8 9 10 11 (certain operators may charge for these calls), 
  at the following standard number: +32 22999696,  
  via the following form: european-union.europa.eu/contact-eu/write-us_en. 

FINDING INFORMATION ABOUT THE EU 

Online 
Information about the European Union in all the official languages of the EU is available on the Europa 
website (european-union.europa.eu). 

EU publications 
You can view or order EU publications at op.europa.eu/en/publications. Multiple copies of free 
publications can be obtained by contacting Europe Direct or your local documentation centre 
(european-union.europa.eu/contact-eu/meet-us_en). 

EU law and related documents 
For access to legal information from the EU, including all EU law since 1951 in all the official language 
versions, go to EUR-Lex (eur-lex.europa.eu). 

EU open data 
The portal data.europa.eu provides access to open datasets from the EU institutions, bodies and 
agencies. These can be downloaded and reused for free, for both commercial and non-commercial 
purposes. The portal also provides access to a wealth of datasets from European countries. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
− 

This thematic report provides an introductory overview of 
Public Engagement in Research and Innovation in Europe, 
as discussed during the first meeting of the Mutual Learning 
Exercise on Public Engagement in Research and 
Innovation. Various policies, frameworks, resources, and 
projects (mainly EU funded) to promote Public Engagement 
practices are described. The report aims to inspire and help 
public actors and policymakers to promote and support 
public engagement.  

Studies and reports