CASI Conference Exploring Policy Options for Responsible Research, Sustainability and Innovation

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION FOR RESEARCH, PRACTICE AND POLICY

CASI Conference 2016

The CASI policy conference focused on best public participation and sustainable innovation practices and identified common European priorities on how to stimulate societal participation for sustainable innovation activities in European regions, scientific institutions, SMEs and other societal actors. We brought together a broad range of experts, stakeholders, policy-makers, entrepreneurs, regional authorities and Commission officials. The CASI conference focused on the intersection of public participation and sustainable innovation.

In the first half of the CASI project and based on key lessons learned from the assessment of 500+ SI initiatives, a research team from The University of Manchester developed the following preliminary definition of sustainable innovation (SI):

• Sustainable innovation is ‘any incremental or radical change in the social, service, product, governance, organisational, system or marketing landscape that leads to positive environmental, economic and social transformation without compromising the needs, welfare and wellbeing of current and future generations’.
  • Source:  Popper et al. (2016) Sustainable Innovation Conceptual Framework.

However, as the project evolved with new lessons learned from management actions and roadmaps linked to 40+ sustainable innovation pilot studies, The University of Manchester felt the need to take a more systemic approach, which helped the CASI project move towards a final definition:

• Sustainable innovation is ‘any incremental or radical change in a socio-technical system leading to positive environmental, economic and social transformations without compromising the needs, welfare and wellbeing of current and future generations’.
  • Source:  Popper, R., Velasco, G., Popper, M. (2017) CASI-F: Common Framework for the Assessment and Management of Sustainable Innovation, CASI project report, Deliverable 6.2.

CASI-F

The conference included several sessions, including one on ‘Assessing and Managing Sustainable Innovation: The CASI-F‘.

Session Chairs: Victor van Rij and Rafael Popper

• Public engagement – the holistic approach of the CASI project.
  • Zoya Damianova, ARC Fund
• What is sustainable innovation?  The CASI experience – public engagement for sustainable innovation.
  • Rafael Popper and Guillermo Velasco, University of Manchester
• How to assess and manage Sustainable Innovation? 
  • Rafael Popper and Guillermo Velasco, University of Manchester
• Introduction to the Training Course on Applying CASI-F.
  • Rafael Popper and Guillermo Velasco, University of Manchester
• Discussion