This deliverable describes the outcomes of the external evaluation of GoNano project, and, based on this experience, suggests a semi-qualitative methodology for the evaluation of co-creation processes and activities.

The evaluation was done with reference to the expected impacts of GoNano, based on specific indicators addressing the efficacy and efficiency of the process, and the efficacy of the project. These indicators have been measured using a mixed methodological approach, by means of both primary (interviews) and secondary (e.g., project deliverables) sources. Results have been analyzed and included in this report.

Overall, the quantified outcomes of the evaluation show that the GoNano project succeeded in terms of both efficacy and efficiency, and thus impacts of the action. The most relevant outcomes related to the three expected impacts of GoNano are:

• Impact 1 (product level). Realize R&I products aligned with social needs and values. The project was successful in delivering a wide range of products ideas and suggestions, aligned with the views of the stakeholders engaged in the process. However, the level of maturity, structure and definition of these products varies a lot, and only few of them might find a practice use in the future. The effective engagement of industry and policy makers has been a bottleneck of the process. The project was effective in taking into account gender and diversity, which were mainstreamed all along the process and the project, either in the setting up of the co-creation process and in its implementation.
• Impact 2 (policy level). Support more responsive approaches to strategy building and policy making in R&I. This action has been affected by the difficulties in engaging with policy makers and industrial stakeholders during the project, also due to changes in the planning of events due to the covid19 situation. However, it has also been realized that this impact was quite ambitious given the methodology and activities planned in the project. In order to achieve this goal, it is important that policy and decision-makers go beyond responsiveness to societal needs and values, and societal engagement, and put forward initiatives to motivate and incentivize research, business and industry to change their way of working.
• Impact 3 (stakeholder level). Facilitate inclusive approaches for R&I, to increase confidence
  on R&I. The project was very successful in terms of favoring the mutual learning and active engagement of different actors. There were good and successful foundations in the project for opinions and voices to be heard: results were very good in terms of interaction between different stakeholders and in increasing trust among them. Providing evidence of the potential (economic) benefits for product development of co-creation is still an open issue, that might go beyond the goals of the project

Some reflections on how to perform co-creation emerged from the external evaluation:

• Fostering mutual learning: co-creation should be implemented both as an “external process”,engaging a diversity of stakeholders (e.g., citizens, professional stakeholders), and as “internalprocess”, ensuring interactions and mutual learning within the teams/partners coordinating the co-creation process
• Defining expectations: co-creation can have different goals, ranging from the democratization of science to user-led innovation. It is key to understand and address this dichotomy since the very beginning of the process
• Ensuring engagement and motivation of industry and policy actors: these stakeholders are essential, as they are the ones that could put in practices results of the co-creation process, and thus enhance responsiveness of innovation. They need to be strongly involved, motivated and incentivized, and be proactive in the co-creation process
• Continuous engagement: stakeholders need to be engaged throughout the co-creation
  process
• Review and adapt methodologies: the approach to co-creation should be adapted to the specific context, and thus methodology design and implementation go hand-in-hand: methodology developers directly involved “on field” in the engagement activities, for testingthe efficacy of the process and fine-tune it, whenever necessary.

The methodology adopted for the evaluation of GoNano, proved to be applicable along all the three phases of the co-creation process, namely:

• Identification and structuring of the problem,
• Dealing with the problem,
• Implementation.

The proposed approach went beyond the assessment of the deliverables and KPIs defined in the project itself, and while building upon the praxis available in literature, it was integrated with the following additional aspects:

• Adopting a co-creation approach for the evaluation method itself, by involving the project’s partners in the design of the methodology and indicators
• Defining specific indicators for capturing the quality of the outcome and of the impacts.

It was built upon the concept of collecting information and interacting only with the mediators of the co-creation process (i.e., the project’s partners), and not with the stakeholders participating in the process. This has been possible given that each of the specific co-creation actions performed by individual partners in GoNano already foresaw extensive collection of feedbacks from involved stakeholders.

In addition, it was pointed out the importance of involving the external evaluator in selected cocreation events, to collect primary information on the process itself, and to triangulate the feedback and data collected by the partners.

As a next step, it would be interesting to apply the proposed approach in other co-creation actions, so to fine-tune and improve it, with the ambitious and ultimate goal to define a common approach to the evaluation of the efficacy, efficiency and impact of co-creation processes.

Read the full report here.

The GoNano Online conference on Responsiveness to Societal Needs and Values in
Nanotechnologies and Beyond was originally planned to take place in Brussels in June 2020. Due
to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was postponed and transformed into an online event.

The programme was divided into three online conference days of 2-3 hours, which took place on
29 October, 5 November and 12 November.

Over 150 individuals registered for the conference and despite the anticipated dropout rate for
an online event, around 50 viewers were present throughout each of the three sessions.

Going online also meant reaching a broader audience form all over the world as well as a high
production value creating legacy material that will continue to reach beyond the audience
participating on the day.

Read the full report here.

This deliverable shares material and results at the end of the project:

• Online brochure: Presenting Governing Nanotechnologies Through Societal Engagement
• PDF presentation of results: Presenting Governing Nanotechnologies Through Societal Engagement
• Video with overall project summary: The GoNano Project in 90 seconds
• Story-videos from experiences with workshop participants – GoNano process and outcomes
• Press release – Oct. 2020, Co-create and develop better tehcnology

Pictures from the GoNano Winter School:

Pictures from The GoNano Online Conference on Responsiveness to Societal Needs and Values in Nanotechnologies and Beyond:

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. 

41 videoclips have been produced over the course of the GoNano project. They have been developed with different audiences in mind. Some aim to educate and inspire research and innovation actors to engage society, while others have been developed to educate and inform broader audiences of the potential impacts of nanotechnologies and of opportunities to integrate societal considerations at early stages of research and innovation.

Below you will find seven policy briefs, each present GoNano experiences, insights and/or lessons learned.

Policy brief 1: Co-creation: A Practical Tool to Enhance Responsiveness in Research and Innovation

About: Co-creation can enhance responsiveness by

• Supporting the translation of abstract needs, values and concerns into practical options and action in research and innovation practices
• Facilitating a process of realisation and exploration of how and why broader societal perspectives matter in research and innovation

Policy brief 2: Moving from reflection to proactive engagement and action on societal needs, values, and concerns 

About: The move to action can be supported by

Leaving space for the recognition of opportunities and consciously integrate “interactional expertise in interactions between scientists, engineers, product developers, industry and policy

• Building collaboration in the early stages of research and development and encourage creativity and design thinking
• Supporting the training of interactional skills, literacy and expertise
• Implementing rewards for researchers that invite other experts and societal stakeholder to discuss and contribute to their work

Policy brief 3: Opportunities and Challenges of Co-Creation: Experiences from the GoNano Project

About: Strategies for overcoming challenges for co-creation

• Finding a shared goal and use it to drive your multi-stakeholder collaborations.
• Planning time to translate and mediate between your different types of stakeholders. The more diversity the more time you will need to mediate and build common understanding between groups.
• Choosing a clear purpose of the co-creation in research: democratisation or creation of shared value through product development. The goal prescribes the actors that should be involved and their ways of contribution.

Policy brief 4: The Value Chain: An approach to Implement Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) practices in Nanotechnologies Development

About: How the value chain approach can support the implantation of RRI

• It provides a schematic approach and a stepwise guide for embedding co-creation in business practices
• It helps identify hands-on suggestions to help successfully co-create along your value chain

Policy brief 5: Positioning Co-Creation: Democratisation versus Added Value

About: Possible uses of co-creation in research and innovation

• It can be used to integrate diverse perspectives and knowledge for improvement of innovation product and ideas
• It can be used to integrate diverse perspectives and knowledge for evaluation of the priorities and direction of research and innovation policies and practices In each case, organisers should carefully consider the role of, and expectations placed on laypeople in a co-creation process

Policy brief 6: Inclusion in Co-creation: What is Needed in Practice?

About: Key requirements for realising inclusion in co-creation

• Investing in co-creation and develop skills and competencies of organisers to develop strategies that ensure continuous inclusion
• Carefully balancing the topic, questions and preparatory materials to avoid common difficulties for inclusion in co-creation and engagement processes
• Paying attention to your communication strategy and the messages you share about your project and process to communicate in a way that supports inclusion and diversity

Policy brief 7: Gender Issues in Nanotechnologies research and innovation

About: Gender issues in nanotechnologies research and innovation include

• Male norms and visions of future role and function of technological applications give shape to research ideas and processes thereby missing possibly discriminatory or harmful implications
• The performance and potential of women in science is judged and viewed differently than their male counterparts
• A lack of discussion and awareness on the difference between sex and gender. Gender or “gender equality” refers to the socially constructed roles, behaviours, activities, and attributes that a given society considers appropriate for men and women, whereas sex refers to the innate biological characteristics

Industry Brief: The Power of co-creation

About: Designing solutions to shared problems with citizens and stakeholders

Download the report here: GoNano D5.5 – Collecting of the GoNano Policy and Industry Briefs

*The document may not be seen as an official deliverable of the GoNano project as it has not yet been approved by the European Commission.

The white papers are part of the Governance and Policy Outreach and Alignment objectives that aim to 1) feedback GoNano outcomes towards the development of concrete policy recommendations for governance of research and innovation in nanotechnology for increased responsiveness to societal needs and values and 2) feedback governance recommendations widely to policymakers, industry, research and innovation partnerships and consumer groups.

The white papers are built on the extensive background research gathered at the beginning of the project, as well as experiences of methodology development and demonstration by the pilot studies. Key policy questions were identified from the material and are synthesized with the white paper topics. The white papers, again, build the foundation for policy, ensure outreach to all major stakeholder groups in order to provide them with the GoNano co-creation experiences.

In the light of the overall aim of GoNano to open up research and innovation to a wider audience and to actively promote co-creation between different stakeholder groups, the GoNano white papers were put online in order to provide a broader audience to comment and give feedback. The three white papers were put on the GoNano website for a six weeks public consultation phase in April/May 2020.

The three GoNano white papers provide insights into different aspects of co-creation and responsiveness in the field of nanotechnology. Each paper addresses the question of ‘conditions for Responsible Research and Innovation in nanotechnology research and innovation from a different angle.

White Paper one establishes the foundation as to why co-creation responsiveness makes sense in nanotechnology and describes conceptual and empirical aspects of responsiveness of researchers and engineers in co-creation processes. It mainly addresses researchers, engineers, as well as other stakeholders involved in the research system (e.g. research funding or research institutions)

White Paper two provides a strategic focus regarding how to implement co-creation, considering research and the innovation eco-system. Thus, it addresses industrial and business partners, research institutions, and policy makers who are active in and are influencing research and innovation processes.

White paper three provides guidance on how to realize co-creation considering a gender and diversity perspectives in order to better integrate these in nano-related R&I. The main addressees of the paper are organizers and/or researchers in a position to put co-creation into practice.

Read the full report here: GoNano Deliverable 5.3- Collection of the GoNano White papers

*The document may not be seen as an official deliverable of the GoNano project as it has not yet been approved by the European Commission.

This report aims to integrate the insights and lessons learned over the course of the project, reviewing findings from the knowledge base and methodology developed in the early stages of the project and the results of a series of engagement activities organised in the Netherlands, the Czech Republic and Spain from October 2018 to November 2019. It considers how the various project activities have contributed to the specific objectives of the GoNano project as well as the overall aim to improve the responsiveness of research and innovation processes to public values and concerns.

The overall GoNano experience has elucidated opportunities and challenges of co-creation as a tool to enhance the responsiveness of research and innovation. The results suggest how focused, guided interactions between different stakeholders can in principle lead to novel suggestions on how to integrate broader considerations in research and innovation decisions. Several insights evolved from wild ideas into specific propositions towards the end of the co-creation process. That said, the gap between the appreciation of broader issues around research and innovation, and the actual integration of those issues in daily research practices and priorities remains significant: the challenge is to get from constructive dialogue to practical action. The GoNano experience suggests that co-creation processes need to identify the concrete interests and address the motivations of all participants, maintain continuity of thought, ‘translate’ needs and concerns from the social realm to practical options in the technological realm, and drill down to the level where the discussion topics and identified courses of action are specific enough to affect the decisions of the actors involved.

Read the full report here: GoNano D4.4 – Insights and lessons from the engagement activities

In summary

GoNano sought to design and implement a co-creation process that aligns nanotechnologies with societal needs and values. The co-creation process aimed to derive concrete suggestions from a deeper understanding of the needs and values of European citizens, and to explore the potential commercial value of integrating societal considerations in nanotechnology research and innovation. To realise these ambitious objectives, the project partners have produced a wealth of information on research and innovation policy, public engagement and co-creation in nanotechnologies.

The overall co-creation process spanned a wide range of activities across Europe. All in all, the workshops have mobilized 249 participants around co-creation in nanotechnologies. Moreover, 46 interviewees from 14 countries have provided their views on nanotechnologies and engagement in the initial stages of the project, 893 respondents from across Europe have commented through an online consultation on the product suggestions resulting from the workshops, and 198 persons responded to the evaluation questionnaires and interviews.

The overall GoNano experience has elucidated opportunities and challenges of co-creation as a tool to enhance the responsiveness of research and innovation. The findings of the GoNano co-creation process confirm that with some effort and careful preparation, it is possible to demonstrate to stakeholders that it does make sense to look at the broader dimensions of research. Participants valued the general opportunities for mutual learning and networking. However, getting from constructive dialogue to practical action remains a significant bottleneck: there is a gap between the appreciation of broader issues around research and innovation and the actual integration of those issues in daily research practices.

The GoNano experience suggests that co-creation processes need to identify the concrete interests and address the motivations of all participants, maintain continuity of thought, ‘translate’ needs and concerns from the social realm to practical options in the technological realm, and drill down to the level where the discussion topics and identified courses of action are specific enough to affect the decisions of the actors involved.

Aligning research and innovation to societal needs and values is not just a matter of deciding what sorts of future applications European citizens and stakeholders want and need (which is difficult enough, given widely divergent responses). It is also a matter of practically realising the desired change. Due to the relative autonomy of the research and innovation system, calls for responsiveness will need to identify the win-win opportunities where ‘doing good’ and ‘doing well’ coincide.

Read the full report here: GoNano D4.4 – Insights and lessons from the engagement activities

*The document may not be seen as an official deliverable of the GoNano project as it has not yet been approved by the European Commission

Deliverable 6.2 is part of the overall community and capacity building activities of GoNano. This deliverable specifically aimed to offer guidelines to citizens and other stakeholders who would like to have a voice in nanotechnology. To support citizens and stakeholders in the nanodebate, various output was developed, including a subtask report on exploring engagement opportunities for citizens and stakeholders, a public engagement database, ‘how to..’ guide on participating in the nanodebate, and a website section with easy to understand information about nanotechnology and results of the GoNano project.

For a details overvieuw of the various output please see D6.2 – Guidelines and information for citizens and CSOs

In summary

Mapping already available opportunities for public and professional stakeholders to have a say on the development of nanotechnology.

This first task focussed on mapping already available opportunities for public and professional stakeholders to have a say on the development of nanotechnology. GoNano reviewed 49 engagement initiatives (European projects, networks or platforms, and local projects and organisations) that aim to engage citizens and stakeholders with nanotechnologies (and emerging technologies more broadly) to map exisiting engagement opportunities in more detail. A key finding of the report is that concrete opportunities for citizens and CSOs to actively engage with nanotechnologies are relatively scarce, despite a plethora of public engagement initiatives. For those citizens and stakeholders interested in engaging with nanotechnology, suitable engagement opportunities can be hard to find. The report concludes that more engagement initiatives are needed that focus on the ’empowerment’ of citizens and stakeholders rather than on passive engagement. The responsive capacity of research and innovation needs to be enhanced in order to align research and innovation with the values, needs and expectations of society.

Please read the full subtask report here: Subtask 6.2 – Information and guides for citizens and CSOs

Developing an online resource database

Based on the findings of subtask report 6.2, GoNano developed an online public engagement database. The database lists engagement initiaitives that are currently inviting citizens and stakeholders. The list is not meant to be exhaustive, but gives a first indication of what is out there and how to get involved.

Click here for the public engagement database.

Developing guidelines for and citizens and CSOs who would like to engage with nanotechnologies

With the ‘How to..’ guide for citizens, GoNano aims to 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 helps citizens define their interests, identify the right engagement opportunity, and become involved in nanotechnology research and development:

1. Define your purpose;
2. Find the place and community;
3. Get prepared;
4. Create together;
5. Reflect on the process and results.

Each step in this guide is supported by a brief summary of the step, followed by an example or exercise to help visualize and act as guidance through the step. For each stage there is a hint or advice based on the experience gained during the GoNano project. This also includes background information, tools, formats and inspiring ideas.

Click here for the ‘How to..’ guide.

Produce easy-to-understand information on nanotechnology and the results of the GoNano project

The findings from the GoNano project have been made available in a dedicated section on the project website to make it easier for citizens and societal stakeholders to understand the key concepts and possible developments of nanotechnology and support them to engage in research activities or in the public debate on nanotechnologies. This website section offers all the output developed as part of Task 6.2, but also includes relevant outputs from other GoNano work packages and external content. A brief summary of the website sections is given below; a full description is available directly on the website.

• The homepage of the section: ‘Join the nanodebate’ introduces the information available on the other pages. The sidebar at the right-hand side provides easy access to tools developed or citizens; the public engagement database
• The page: Nanotechnology in a nutshell presents easy to understand information on nanotechnology. This section briefly answers the question what is nanotechnology? and provides some examples of nanomaterials applications in commercial products. Supporting background material, including informative videoclips and brochures
• The page: Why might you care about nanotechnology gives a short introduction about the governance of nanotechnology. The videoclips and posters of future scenarios that GoNano developed are introduced as an example to help visualize future nanotechnology applications and raise questions on acceptability, sustainability and desirability that come with it.
• The page: Join in: engagement opportunities provides the public engagement database developed as discussed previously.
• The page: The GoNano approach summarises the aims, activities and main findings of the GoNano project. It provides a complete overview of the outcomes and results per work package, including the deliverables, toolkits, videoclips and the white papers.

Click here to visit the Join the nanodebate webapage

The full report can be found here D6.2 – Guidelines and information for citizens and CSOs

*The document may not be seen as an official deliverable of the GoNano project as it has not yet been approved by the European Commission