From Deliberation to Production: Public Participation in Science and Technology Policies of the European Commission (199
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From Deliberation to Production: Public Participation in Science and Technology Policies of the European Commission (1998–2019) Hadrien Macq1 · Élise Tancoigne2 · Bruno J. Strasser2
© Springer Nature B.V. 2020
Abstract This article investigates how a discourse about the role and value of public participation in science, technology, and innovation emerged and evolved in the research policies of the European Commission. At the beginning of the twentyfirst century, two main discourses have been successively institutionalized: the first focused on participation in policy-making, while the second aimed at participation in the production of knowledge and innovation. This paper distinguishes three main institutional phases: (i) a phase dedicated to public participation in the governance of science and technology (2000–2010); (ii) a reframing period of science and technology policies by the Commission to integrate the growing emphasis on innovation (2010–2014); (iii) a period focusing on co-creation and citizen science as new ways to involve the public in science and technology (2014-today). Factors such as individual commitments of key policy actors, specific epistemic communities and institutional dynamics within the Commission played a crucial role in shaping the policies of participation. But broader factors are also essential to account for these changes. In this respect, the economic crisis of the late 2000s appears fundamental to understanding how the conception and promotion of public participation in the European science and technology policies have evolved over time. This paper thus offers new insights to the analysis of the political economy of public participation. Keywords Public participation · European Commission · Research and innovation · Open innovation · Citizen science
* Hadrien Macq [email protected] 1
Université de Liège, Place des Orateurs, 3, 4000 Liège, Belgium
2
Université de Genève, Uni Carl Vogt, 1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland
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Introduction The participation of different publics in science and technology-related issues is a key theme in Science and Technology Studies (STS). Multiple scholars in STS have shown that lay people can meaningfully engage in discussions and deliberations about science and technology (Irwin and Wynne 1996) and contribute to making democracies stronger by contributing to civic debates about controversial issues resulting from scientific and technological developments (Callon et al. 2009). In policy circles, public participation (often under the heading of “public dialogue” or “public engagement”) has been conceived as a powerful remedy to the perceived decreasing legitimacy of governing institutions since the 1990s resulting from techno-scientific controversies such as the “mad cow disease,” the dioxin affair, and genetically modified organisms. Public participation was often understood by public authorities, at the national and European levels, as a way to reduce opposition to technological change by achieving a br
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