Responsible Modulation of Nanotechnologies: Examples and Pathways

摘要: Given the transformative nature of nanotechnology, policymakers, researchers, industry groups, NGOs, and other stakeholders have committed to jointly considering the potential ethical, legal, and social issues (ELSI) of nanotech applications, and to developing nanotech responsibly, in alignment with societal values and considerations. But how is this alignment achieved? What does responsibility entail, for whom and why? What are better and worse ways of governing nanotech with and for society? In this talk, we present and discuss various “tried and tested” tools and techniques developed by sociologists of innovation and advocates of Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI), aimed at raising awareness, training, and disseminating and implementing RRI in/for nanotech research and development (R&D), particularly but not exclusively in the field of nanomedicine. These include Technology Assessment, Vision Assessment, Socio-Technical Integration Research, Value-Sensitive Design, and Systems Thinking methods, among others. We illustrate how each of these approaches can help to align R&D practices and agendas with societal needs and concerns, and enable researchers to critically reflect on social and future consequences of their research. With participants we explore and discuss the strengths and limits of these various RRI approaches in light of the uncertainties and complexities (technical, moral, social, etc.) they face in day-to-day R&D practices.