
Institutional and cultural change is important
GRRIP is working on embedding sustainable Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI practices) in 4 research performing organisations (RPO) and 1 dual-function RPO and research funding organisation (RPO/RFO) (total 5 RPO&RFO) in the marine and maritime sectors to achieve institutional and cultural change.
Why we do this?
- STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT: Government boards of marine and maritime research organisations do not currently involve the public and all relevant stakeholders at the early stages of research strategies.
- OPEN ACCESS: Marine and maritime research organisations are reluctant to release their research data due to its high costs and IP concerns.
- GENDER EQUALITY: The marine and maritime research sector has a high proportion of engineers, a traditionally male career path, and with low gender equality improvement to date.
Why the institutional and cultural change?
During the 2000s, much work has been done on the concept of responsible research and innovation supported by EU projects. However, most of the projects related to the institutional change of research organizations (RPOs) and research funding organizations (RFOs) focused on one of the five keys individually. Relatively few of them focused on establishing responsible research and innovation practices in these organisations, as part of an integrated approach.
5 RPO & RFO involved in the institutional and cultural change
- PLOCAN is a multipurpose technical-scientific service infrastructure that provides support for research, technological development, and innovation in the marine and maritime sectors.
- MaREI conducts fundamental research relating to marine and renewable energy applications and constructs world-class marine technology demonstration systems.
- WaVEC works on marine renewable energies, offshore aquaculture, and ocean engineering solutions, working together with the business sector.
- Swansea University has a long history of working with business and industry, conducting world-class and internationally recognized research.
- ECN researches renewable energy solutions that help to create a sustainable future.
How we help them?
The sustainable expansion in Europe’s maritime economy has the potential to meet pressing needs for energy, food and economic growth. The GRRIP projects aim to implement Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) to fundamentally improve research in the Blue Economy in the following ways:
- RRI IN MARINE RESEARCH: We are embedding Responsible Research & Innovation into the governance framework of five marine and maritime institutions.
- ENGAGEMENT OF ALL RELEVANT STAKEHOLDERS: We are engaging the quadruple helix in all aspects of Responsible Research & Innovation governance. Academia, industry, policy, and society.
- FUNDING POLICIES: We examine how funding bodies can positively influence and encourage academia towards Responsible Research & Innovation via its funding policies and interaction.