Standardising Responsibility? The Significance of Interstitial Spaces.

Area of Science:

• Science and Technology Governance
• Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI)
• Socio-ecological Impact Assessment

Background:

• Rapid technological development presents social controversies and scientific uncertainty regarding socio-ecological impacts.
• Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) is gaining prominence in science and technology governance discourse.
• The practical enactment of RRI through various initiatives necessitates an examination of its real-world implications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the practical meaning and application of Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI).
• To highlight the under-examined role of international standardization in RRI.
• To analyze the entanglement of international standards with RRI development, using nanotechnology as a case study.

Main Methods:

• Case study analysis focusing on nanoscale sciences and technologies.
• Examination of the intersection between international standardization processes and RRI principles.
• Critical evaluation of how international standardization currently engages with or deviates from RRI norms.

Main Results:

• International standards are already influencing the development and practice of RRI.
• The process of international standardization frequently fails to embody the core norms and principles of RRI.
• Nanotechnology serves as a specific example illustrating the complex relationship between standards and RRI.

Conclusions:

• Current RRI models offer a valuable framework for aligning research and innovation with societal needs, ethics, and environmental concerns.
• For RRI to be truly successful, approaches must broaden their scope to include a more diverse range of innovation system agents and spaces.
• Addressing the interstitial space of international standardization is critical for the effective implementation of RRI.