Welcome

Members

Events

Contact us

Disclaimer

Location

K.U.Leuven - Audiovisuele Dienst
Kapeldreef 62
B-3001 Leuven, BELGIUM
http://www.kuleuven.ac.be/

Date

March 29, 2006

17h00-19h00

Addressing societal aspects of nanotechnological research: role of scientists
Lieve Goorden, Universiteit Antwerpen

Innovation processes with new technologies - such as nanotechnology and converging technologies - differ from usual approaches in the past. Innovation with this kind of techno-sciences has become:

• a system activity: due to an increase in the kinds of knowledge and competences, there is a growing need to exchange knowledge between very diverse actors and innovation takes place increasingly in networks.
• a multi-goal activity: the technological innovation dynamic can be brought in for different social and policy purposes and solutions with a diverse array of possible but uncertain consequences.
• a multi-cultural activity: not only the palette of possible advantages and risks becomes bigger, but also the plurality of perceptions and assessments of these consequences increases.

This will imply new roles for scientists. Research in nanoscience is driven by curiosity in order to explore building blocks for worthwhile innovation trajectories. This invokes new responsibilities of scientists in the field of interaction with society. Scientists will have to share their scientific curiosity with unfamiliar kinds of competences (such as human sciences, experiences of stakeholders, common sense of users/citizens). We will discuss how to support scientists in taking up co-responsibility for assessment of nanotechnology in an early stage of their research.