The report explores the business case for co-creation both in the narrow and in the broader sense of the term, where, at its narrowest, the business case would be the monetary value it offers to commercial companies, and, in the broader sense, the business case would include non-monetary value (such as reputation, innovation potential, or access to markets) to innovation actors (i.e. including researchers, funding organisations, etc. as well) as adopters of co-creation processes. It reviews the GoNano experiences, considering feedback received from companies and other innovation actors on the GoNano co-creation activities, and reflects on the findings of a workshop with external stakeholders in October 2020 which aimed to explore the business case for co-creation in the context of three EU-projects funded under the NMBP-13-2018 call on risk governance in nanotechnology: NANORIGO, GOV4NANO and RISKGONE.

The report concludes that there may well be a business case for co-creation, both in the narrow and broader sense of the term. The GoNano experience in itself does not provide sufficient evidence to suggest that there is a business case for co-creation in the narrow sense. To argue for co-creation as a purely commercial activity for companies, more straightforward and convincing examples are needed that demonstrate the commercial benefit of co-creation. Still, co-creation may offer opportunities to operationalise the commitment of companies towards their stakeholders. There are some indications from other initiatives like PRISMA and LIVING INNOVATION that companies may adopt co-creation as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility strategies. However, the successful adoption of co-creation does seem to be limited to those cases where ‘doing good’ and ‘doing well’ coincide.

The business case for co-creation seems to look stronger if it is interpreted broadly, as the potential to realise value in the broader sense for all innovation actors. For researchers, co-creation could help to define new inroads for research, gain access to future technology users and attract new sources of funding. For policy makers, co-creation could offer solutions to wicked problems that carry broader stakeholder support. The GoNano experiences provides some initial clues to the potential added value for producers, researchers and policy makers. However, to make a convincing business case for co-creation, many more compelling examples are needed of the added value of adopting iterative, product-focused, transdisciplinary collaborations as part of innovation processes in research, innovation and policy making. As the GoNano project draws to a close, the search for the business case for co-creation continues.

Downlaod the report here: GoNano D5.4 – The business case for co-creation. 

Enabling co-creation in nanotechnologies

Dig into the lessons learned and outcomes of the GoNano project with this interactive brochure.

Introduction video clip about the aims of the GoNano project.

the GoNano project in 90 seconds

Process and outcomes GoNano

GoNano developed five audio-visual vignettes capturing the development of the concrete product suggestions or research aims that came out from a collaboration between citizens (Citizen workshop), and stakeholders including citizen (Stakeholder workshop I) from each of the pilot countries – energy in Spain, food in the Czech Republic and health in the Netherlands. Please watch the five audio-visual vignettes

GoNano best practices

GoNano has explored best practices in co-creation as input to the overall GoNano process design. We have intervieuwed innovators behind five noteworthy initiatives who explain what their project was about, what the main results were, and what recommendations may be derived from it for organising co-creation. The interviews complement a broader survey of best practices by way of a literature survey and in-depth interviews with co-creation practitioners and researchers across Europe. Please watch the best practices movies 

Future scenarios video clips

GoNano developed a series of nine future scenarios for nanotechnology applications in healthcare, food and energy production as an example to help visualize future nanotechnology applications and raise questions on acceptability, sustainability and desirability that come with it. These future scenarios are about everyday life situations to illustrate how nanotechnologies might be used in the future. Please visit the future scenarios for nanotechnology applications page.

Health

Energy

Food

The GoNano co-creation process

GoNano developed an iterative, four-step co-creation process to align research and innovation in nanotechnologies with societal needs, values and concerns. The co-creation process combined face-to-face citizen engagement and stakeholder workshops in three different pilot countries (health in the Netherlands, food in the Czech Republic, and energy in Spain). Please watch these videoclips to get an impression of these interactive days,

Citizen workshops in Prague, Barcelona and Enschede

Stakeholder workshops in Barcelona, Prague and Enschede

Interviews with project coordinator, partners and external advisory members half way the project

GoNano webinars

The GoNano project is committed to developing tools for researchers and engineers, who would like to work more co-creatively with citizens and other types of stakeholders. To share our lessons learned, GoNano organised three webinars; 1) co-creation in research and innovation; 2)  co-creation in practice; and 3) outcomes and results of co-creation. Please visit GoNano webinars on co-creation and research: a series in three parts.

You can download all the material in the left sidebar:
– Brochure with all information for a co-creation workshop.
– PowerPoint presentation to support the process
– Two posters (extended and simpel version) to print for your event, showing the six-step approach to co-creation
– Practical and strategic canvases to support step 3: Start planning
– Toolkits from other projects and organizations to support step 4: Organize your co-creation event
– YouTube clips with an impression of the GoNano workshop to support step 4: Organizing your co-creation event
– Questionnaire canvas used by GoNano to support step 5: Evaluation and reflection on the process

The GoNano approach

GoNano believes that research and innovation can benefit from being more open to societal needs and concerns. Over the course of three years (2017-2020), GoNano enabled collaborative development (co-creation) in three nanotechnology application areas: food, energy and health. We first consulted citizens about their wishes, needs and concerns regarding future nanotechnology applications. This was used as input for the first and second stakeholder workshops, which aimed to stimulate citizens, civil society organisations, industry, researchers and policy makers across Europe to co-create research aims and think about concrete (product) suggestions for future nanotechnologies. Read more about the GoNano approach and results. 

What is nanotechnology? And why does it matter?

Nanotechnology in a nutshell

Nano originates from the Greek word nanos, which means dwarf and refers to something very small. Nanotechnology is defined not by its subject matter, but by the scale at which it operates: the nanometer, or one billionth of a meter. Nanotechnology seeks to manipulate and control matter in a size range of 100 nanometer down to the size of atoms (approximately 0.2nm).

Not all nano-sized objects are man made. Many nanostructures occur naturally. They can be found in sea salt and volcanic ashes, among others. However, it is only in recent years that sophisticated tools have been developed to investigate and manipulate matter at the nanoscale. This has greatly enhanced our understanding of the nanoscale world. We now know that by rearranging or restructuring the atoms and molecules of a particle, the properties and behaviour (such as melting point, conductivity or chemical reactivity) of the particle change. For instance, gold particles at the nanoscale are not yellow as we know them, but can appear red or purple. Because of these changes in their optical properties, gold nanoparticles can be used for medical imaging. Nanomaterials may differ significantly from their larger scale relatives, opening doors for new technological opportunities. Read more about nanotechnology.

Why might you care about nanotechnology?

Nanotechnology is already a part of our lives. Nanomaterials are used to enhance the properties of consumer products like some toothpaste, sunscreen, food packaging, and smartphones. Proponents of nanotechnology claim that this is just a glimpse of the possible future benefits for consumers. But others are concerned that nanomaterials may harm human and environmental health. So, even though applications of nanotechnologies are developed to provide better products to consumers, there may be unforeseen consequences.

To what extent can we anticipate the future impacts of the use of nanomaterials? How should the potential benefits of nanotechnology be weighed against the possible unforeseen consequences? And who gets to decide? In recent years, a wide range of projects has been initiated to assess nanotechnology, measuring the effects of nanoparticles on human and environmental health and exploring possible future scenarios with citizens and stakeholders. Read more about the governance of nanotechnologies.

Join in: engagement opportunities

Nanotechnology, like all novel scientific advances, introduces new opportunities and uncertainties. This invites important questions about what products citizens may or may not want, and about the risks we are prepared to tolerate. These are questions which affect us all. As a stakeholder, you may also want to become involved in what happens next.

To help you get started, GoNano did some exploratory research and developed a public engagement database, listing organizations and projects that are currently out there looking for your feedback. These initiatives would like to find out about your concerns, needs and wishes on nanotechnology-related topics. Some directly invite you to join their discussion, others offer guidance on how to become involved in the nanodebate . Click here for the public engagement database.

GoNano also developed a ‘How to..’ guide for citizens on public participation. With this guide, we would like to share our lessons learned. Hopefully it will support citizens who would like to engage with nanotechnologies to express their own needs and concerns and ensure that their thoughts are taken into account in future developments. The guide offers a five-step approach which aims to help you define your interests, identify the right opportunity and become involved in nanotechnology research and development. It’s an invitation for citizens to express their own needs and concerns and help shape the future directions of nanotechnologies. Click here for the ‘How to..’ guide.

The GoNano approach

GoNano believes that research and innovation can benefit from being more open to societal needs and concerns. Over the course of three years (2017-2020), GoNano enabled collaborative development (co-creation) in three nanotechnology application areas: food, energy and health. We first consulted citizens about their wishes, needs and concerns regarding future nanotechnology applications. This was used as input for the first and second stakeholder workshops, which aimed to stimulate citizens, civil society organisations, industry, researchers and policy makers across Europe to co-create research aims and think about concrete (product) suggestions for future nanotechnologies. Read more about the GoNano approach and results. 

Health

Monitoring health (video clip)

DOCTOR AT HOME (VIDEO CLIP)

Future party tricks (video clip)

Smelling disease (Video clip)

Food

Pizza for two (video clip)

Dreaming of carrot cake (video clip)

Energy

A self-powered mobile (video clip)

A malfunction in the system (video clip)

Doing the laundry (video clip)

2018 – January 15 – GoNano opening – press release

2019 – June 27 – Co-creation for responsible innovation in nanotechnologies

2020 – October 23 – Co-create and develop better technology

The questionnaire forms an essential step in the overal GoNano co-creation process. Following the first citizen and stakeholder workshops, the aim was to prioritize the needs and values of citizens, evaluate the product suggestions proposed by stakeholders and citizens in stakeholder workshop 1 and use this as input for stakheholder workshop 2, and gain a more thorough understanding of citizens’ aspirations and concerns for the suggested products and the demographics they are connected to.

During summer 2019, nearly 900 participants from five European countries answered GoNano online questionnaire. The conclution of the report was that although respondents, in general, tend to perceive nanotechnology in a positive way, they hold some safety concerns connected to food and health applications. This is especially stressed by the concerns that were expressed both for the possible nano-food products and interestingly to the solution on how to guarantee their safety as well. However, concerns seem to be outweighed when the benefits are apparent – especially in case of such diseases as cancer or diabetes.

Read the full report

The questionaire closed in September 2019, but the questions are still availble

The objectives of the workshop with the stakeholders are to:

1. Explore ways how actors which are normally not directly involved with the design of nanotechnology products can best have their needs and concerns heard by actors who are directly involved with research, design or development of nanotechnology enabled products.
2. Demonstrate how continuous and ongoing co-creative deliberative processes between actors, involved and not directly involved with nanotechnology innovation, can generate design suggestions which align research & innovation with values, needs and expectations of society during early-stage product development (TRL 2-5). 
3. Evaluate and demonstrate how these co-creative deliberative processes contribute to public and mutual understanding of nanotechnology and how they contribute to building trust between citizens, public and private institutions.
4. Evaluate and demonstrate how these co-creative deliberative processes contribute to increased confidence of companies to invest in new (nano-enabled) technologies.

 Info materiall RMIT on Energy

 Info material TC-CAS on Food

 Info material TU on Health