Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) and Research Ethics

The case study presented in this chapter concerns the policy adopted by the European Commission for better management of the relationship between science and society, with a focus on the ethics of scientific research. This policy, since 2011, has been based on the notion of responsible research and innovation (RRI). We discuss the RRI strategy as an attempt to include ethics within a broader policy framework to respond to the challenges emerging in the European research and innovation landscape. To do so, we examine the origins of the RRI idea, its incorporation into Commission policy, as well as its effectiveness and its impacts. We further discuss whether it has served its purpose in light of the fact that the terminology associated with RRI has been progressively downplayed in more recent years. Positive impacts exist, but also difficulties as RRI aims to take root and enhance and strengthen its ethical aspects. In conclusion, some lessons learned from this ten-year policy effort are presented, exploring the potentialities and limits of such an approach for the renewal of research ethics, and discussing what can be the theoretical and practical legacy of RRI for contemporary scientific and technological innovation policies.