On 28th November, ERA_FABRIC hosted a workshop exploring how research and innovation policies can better serve communities by becoming more human-centric. The session brought together experts, practitioners, and community representatives to share insights and practical strategies for aligning R&D with societal needs.

Engaging Communities in Setting R&D Priorities

We delved into methods to involve local communities effectively in shaping R&D objectives. Key approaches included:

• Participatory methods: Workshops, working groups, task forces, and methodologies like Design Thinking to ensure inclusivity and ownership of challenges.
• Living Labs: Spaces where citizens co-create and test solutions in real time.
• Gamification: Encouraging mutual learning through engaging, non-competitive tools.
• Participatory Budgeting: Empowering citizens to propose and vote on local R&D projects.
• Innovator Involvement: Asking companies for early-stage abstracts to foster alignment before public calls for proposals.

Focusing Innovation on Community Needs

Participants shared strategies to help innovators better address real-world challenges, including:

• Improved diagnosis: Engaging civil society representatives early to understand priorities.
• Public-private collaboration: Leveraging innovation procurement to drive joint solution development.
• Local solutions: Hosting hackathons and incubation programs tailored to local problems, such as air quality or smart city innovations.
• Accessible communication: Training innovators in effective language and dialogue with citizens.
• Knowledge sharing: Universities shifting from top-down transfer to collaborative exchange with communities.

Communicating the Benefits of Innovation

Effective communication emerged as a critical factor in building trust and demonstrating impact. Highlights included:

• Storytelling: Sharing success stories through relatable local testimonials.
• Layered communication: Tailoring messages for different audiences (e.g., data for researchers, infographics for citizens).
• Community events: Using festivals, cultural programs, and initiatives like the Night of Researchers to engage broader audiences.
• Youth engagement: Books, school visits, and student ambassadors bringing R&D closer to younger generations.

Measuring Human-Centric Impact

Finally, we examined how to track the societal benefits of R&D projects. Suggestions included:

• Incentivizing citizen participation: Encouraging data-sharing by highlighting tangible benefits, such as reduced energy costs.
• Qualitative insights: Balancing KPIs with narratives and long-term satisfaction measures.
• Citizen-driven metrics: Designing evaluation tools that reflect community perspectives.

Thank You!

We extend our heartfelt thanks to all participants for their invaluable contributions. Together, we’re shaping a future where innovation policies truly prioritize the people they aim to serve.