In the opening session of the conference, we confront the two key concept of the AFINO project: Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI). These concepts highlight the growing need to develop more responsible practices within business and research respectively.
What progress has been made? Where do we stand today? Are the concepts still relevant for the research, innovation, and business communities, or are they outdated? Do we need new concepts and ideas for the future?

AFINO director Siri Granum Carson will give a short opening talk, before introducing our two prominent keynote speakers, John Bessant and Vincent Blok. The session concludes with a panel talk involving the audience in a discussion about the future of CSR and RRI.
Harald Throne-Holst will moderate the session.

Convened by: Tatiana Aleksandrovna Iakovleva, Elin Merethe Oftedal, UiS / Arnt Fløysand, HVL, Luciana Maines, Unisinos University. 

Download pdf with abstracts for the session.

Programme for the session

Chair: Tatiana Aleksandrovna Iakovleva

13.30 - Mainstreaming responsible innovation in business: a comparative systematic review of business ethics and innovation management literature. Agata Gurzawska, Trilateral Research, Waterford, Ireland

13.55 - Are Innovation Ecosystems Supportive of Responsible Innovation? Luciana Maines da Silva, Unisinos University, Porto Alegre, Brasil

14.20 - Innovation Communities: creating bottom-up spaces for responsible innovation - the case of intelligent biomanufacturing. Alexandra Müller, Wageningen University, The Nederlands

14.45 - From Vision to Action: Empowering Innovation Managers and Technology Developers in Responsible Care Technology Innovation. Hilde Vandenhoudt, Thomas More University of Applied Sciences, Turnhout, Belgium

Convened by: Alexander Myklebust, NTNU, Christian Wittrock, OsloMet / Ellen-Marie Forsberg, NORSUS

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Programme for the session

Chair: Christian Wittrock

13.30 - De-institutionalising growth-driven innovation: theories and practices of post-growth innovation. Mario Pansera, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Spain

13.55 - Governing science through networks – the introduction of RRI as an example of governance. Anders Torgeir Hjertø Lind, NORCE, Tromsø, Norway

14.20 - The Transformative Force of Action Research and Social Innovation Across Local Health and Welfare Services. Trude Senneseth, HVL / Helse Bergen, Bergen, Norway

14.45 - Which type of responsibility is needed to realize the ambitions of RRI? Giovanni De Grandis, NTNU, Trondheim, Norway

15.10 - Complex policy concepts and organizational anchorage: the case of RRI. Christian Wittrock, Oslo Metropolitan University, Norway and Ellen-Marie Forsberg, NORSUS, Norway

Convened by: Kristian Alm & Heidi Karlsen, BI

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Programme for the session

Chair: Heidi Karlsen

13.30 - The whistleblowing institute and its importance for responsible innovation in Brazil. Victor Minervino Quintiere, Centro Universitário de Brasília (CEUB), Brasília, Brazil

13.55 - Contemporary challenges in corporate communication in Brazil: Whistleblowing and its (non) correlation with Ethics Councils. Victor Minervino Quintiere, Centro Universitário de Brasília (CEUB), Brasília, Brazil

14.20 - Employee Dissenting Voice, Communication Climate and Risk Management: A Communication Perspective on Whistleblowing in the Workplace. Silvia Ravazzani and Sara Conti, both IULM University, Milano, Italy

14.45 - How does whistleblowing legislation reconcile the right to freedom of expression with the right to manage: some lessons from Norway. Anne Mette Ødegård, Fafo Institute for Labour and Social Research, Oslo, Norway

15.10 - The Journey of Whistleblowing in Norway: From Precursors and Emergence to Established Practice. Heidi Karlsen, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway and Kristian Alm, Norwegian Business School (BI), Oslo, Norway

Novel biotechnologies come with great possibilities, but also raise significant ethical questions – not least about how we should produce food in a responsible and sustainable way. How can we promote responsible research and innovation in this area?
In the plenary session on Wednesday afternoon, we will get new perspectives on these issues from Kate Millar and Sissel Rønning.
The session is moderated by Anne Ingeborg Myhr.

Convened by: Anne Blanchard, UiB / Giovanni De Grandis, NTNU / Anamika Chatterje, NTNU/DLN

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Programme for the session - Early career researchers challenges

Chairs: Anne Blanchard and Giovanni De Grandis

17.00 - Exploring Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) in Biotechnology: A Systematic Literature Review. Olga Mikhailova, Norwegian University of Life Sciences NMBU, Ås, Norway 

17.25 - Public Sector PhD within the Field of Education: Transformations in Research and Practice. Tony Burner, University of South-Eastern Norway USN, Drammen, Norway and Anna Synnøve Hovstein, NTNU, Trondheim, Norway

17.50 - Reflecting on fostering reflexivity for crop scientists in an interdisciplinary training centre using journalling. Emily A. Buddle, University of Adelaide, Australia

Convened by: Alexander Myklebust, NTNU, Christian Wittrock, OsloMet / Ellen-Marie Forsberg, NORSUS

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Programme for the session

Chair: Alexander Myklebust

17.00 - REINFORCING RRI in mission contexts: lessons learned in key support and implementation activities. Anna Pellizzone, Giannino Bassetti Foundation, Brussels, Belgium

17.25 - Mission-critical – Mission-oriented innovation and its dis/contents. Cecilie Hilmer, University College London (UCL), London, United Kingdom

17.50 - The mission to restore our oceans and waters – experiences from Brussels to Gjøvik. Siri Granum Carson, NTNU, Trondheim, Norway

Convened by: Kristian Alm & Heidi Karlsen, BI

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Programme for the session

Chair: Kristian Alm

17.00 - Defining whistleblowing in context: a French case study. Chaima Moujahed, Northumbria University, Newcastle, United Kingdom

17.25 - Runaway Trains and Persecuted Whistleblowers: The Consequences of Innovation without an Effective Regulator. Ian Garrett Bron, Toronto Metropolitan University Centre for Free Expression, Toronto, Canada

17.50 - Understanding whistleblowing in developing countries: A case of whistleblower protection policies in Africa. Theresa Onaji-Benson, University of Bradford, Bradford, United Kingdom

Convened by: Tatiana Aleksandrovna Iakovleva, Elin Merethe Oftedal, UiS / Arnt Fløysand, HVL / Luciana Maines da Silva, Unisinos University.

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Programme for the session

Chair: Luciana Maines da Silva

8.30 - Integration of Responsible Innovation: A case of user inclusion in a digital healthcare firm. Linnea Tavakoli Hagström, Mälardalen University, Västerås, Sweden

8.55 - Engaging Stakeholders in Healthcare Innovation: The Impact of Knowledge Types and Stages. Masaya Onuma, Seijo University, Tokyo, Japan

9.20 - Stakeholder engagement and innovation management for responsible innovation outcomes: the case of firms in digital healthcare and welfare services. Tatiana Iakovleva, University of Stavanger, Norway

9.45 - Catalyzing Change: Leveraging Stakeholder Collaboration in Developing Innovation and Business Strategies for Wood Waste. Nhat Strøm-Andersen, Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research (NIBIO), Ås, Norway

10.10 - Empowering communities: the role of responsible research and innovation in social entrepreneurship. Jill Kickul, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Monterey, Mexico

Convened by: May Thorseth, NTNU

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Programme for the session

Chair: May Thorseth

8.30 - Digitalization of Powerlines Inspection Routine Using AI As an Infrastructuring Process. Zeina Othman, Mälarldalen University, Västerås, Sweden

8.55 - Responsible AI: Evolving Bodies of Practice. Fabio Tollon, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK

9.20 - Developing trustworthy social AI. Heike Felzmann, University Of Galway, Republic of Ireland

9.45 - Responsible AI Implementation. Serinha Murgorgo, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway

10.10 - Algorithms down from the Moral Ivory Tower: Towards an Ideal 'Non-Ideal' Theory of AI Ethics. Alexander M.S. Hjorth-Johansen, BI Norwegian Business School, Norway

Convened by: Anne Ingeborg Myhr, NORCE / Bjørn K. Myskja, NTNU

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Programme for the session

Chair: Anne Ingeborg Myhr

8.30 - The responsibility of experts in the public debate about genome editing. Siri Granum Carson, NTNU, Trondheim, Norway

8.55 - Animal breeding projects anticipating who and what is at stake using an SDG-based sustainability assessment. Torill Blix, NORCE, Tromsø, Norway

9.20 - RRI in genome editing projects: Use of the Research Ethics cards to promote societal and ethical awareness. Anne Ingeborg Myhr, NORCE, Tromsø, Norway

9.45 - Making sense, lacking agency: Public perceptions on the use and regulation of CRISPR in agriculture in Norway. Marit Svingen, NTNU, Trondheim, Norway

10.10 - Enhancing upstream engagement through understanding of Australian public attitudes about gene editing in livestock production. Rachel A. Ankeny, Wageningen University, The Nederlands, &  Emily A. Buddle, University of Adelaide, Australia

Transdisciplinarity and foresight are key components of the Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) agenda. To tackle social and environmental challenges, we must improve collaboration across disciplines and sectors, while actively shaping the present towards the future we want.
In this session we will draw on the expertise of Ulrike Felt and Riel Miller – both members of the distinguished AFINO international advisory board – to address these issues.
Per Koch will moderate this session, where we further ask: How can transdisciplinarity and foresight improve the uptake of scientific knowledge into practical politics?

Lead by: Erik Bjørnerud (Høgskolen i Østfold) and Richard Helliwell (Ruralis)

Cultured meat or cellular agriculture promises a safe, ‘clean’, efficient, more environmentally sustainable, and humane system of animal protein production in contrast to conventional animal. Not only this, but developing these technologies is seemingly made urgent by projections that agricultural production will have to rise by as much as 60%–70% (much of it to meet increased meat demand) by 2050.

Cellular agriculture appears to be another technical fix par excellence. However, the public scepticism that has accompanied past technological fixes is yet to materialise. Public representations of cultured meat in news media have been overwhelmingly positive. Cautionary framings and contestation of the promises of alternative proteins are in the minority  and there is limited engagement with more ambiguous and negative potentials of these emerging food technologies.

We invite participants to join us in sharing ideas and experience through open discussion at the following thematic discussion stations:

1. Infrastructures
2. Power
3. Responsibilities

This will be followed by a plenary discussion.

Facilitated by: Anne Ingeborg Myhr, Torill Blix and Sigfrid Kjeldaas (NORCE) and Kate Millar (University of Nottingham)

This session will examine the role of new tools that have been developed to support engagement with ethics and the embedding of RRI in research programmes, specifically focusing on the use of the ‘Ethics in Research’ Cards, developed at the University of Nottingham, UK. 

The ‘Ethics in Research’ Cards were designed to support reflection and consideration of the ethical and social issues raised by research. The Cards present issues and questions that are intended to be relevant to all disciplines and cover aspects of research ethics, research integrity and extend to concepts of RRI. 

In the session participants will have the opportunity to use many of the ‘Ethics in Research’ cards.  The session will involve an interactive approach highlighting at least four examples of how the Cards can be used. These examples are drawn from experiences of using the Cards in Norwegian, UK and EU research projects, in professional training and wider engagement activities.

Lead by: Per Koch (NIFU) and Riel Miller (UiS)

A Futures Literacy Lab Taster: On how our understanding of the future colors our understanding of research.

This session will introduce the concept of futures literacy and futures literacy laboratories. Participants will be asked to explore their own ideas about what research will be like in 2050.

What are the challenges and opportunities in RRI collaborations with businesses and researchers, specifically when working together towards a sustainable future?
In this interactive session, the topic of RRI collaborations will be explored through fun and easy exercises for all participants. The purpose is to dissect any denominators and surprises in our associations, expectations and experiences with RRI collaborations.

There will be a panel discussion with experienced guests, namely Anne-Grete Haugen (Matvett), Ellen-Marie Forsberg (NORSUS), Nhat Strøm-Andersen (Nibio) and Hege Sørlie (ISS Facility Services AS), led by researchers Veronica Ski-Berg (NIFU) and Lina Ingeborgrud (NIFU).

Central to the conversation is how to operationalize results from RRI collaborations, with examples to discuss (e.g., the BREAD project). Through exercises and group discussions, the aim is to dissect shared expectations and experiences with the specific challenges, opportunities and solutions that can arise from RRI collaborations with businesses and researchers for a sustainable future.

Lead by: Tatiana Aleksandrovna Iakovleva, Elin Merethe Oftedal and Judy Hong Huang (UiS)

Are you ready to transform how you innovate? Join us for an engaging and interactive workshop designed to dive deep into the crucial role users play in the innovation process. 
User inclusion has become a key focus at both organizational and societal levels, but how do we truly harness the potential users bring—from sparking new ideas to ensuring successful adoption and diffusion? Despite extensive research highlighting the benefits of user involvement, the challenge remains: 
How can we effectively hear, amplify, and integrate user insights to co-create meaningful innovation?

This workshop is your opportunity to explore practical tools, techniques, and strategies to elevate user involvement. We’ll discuss the spectrum of user participation—from active contributors to passive players—and explore the mechanisms that enable deeper engagement.

What’s in it for you?

• Share your experiences: Contribute your own practices of user involvement and learn from the insights of others through interactive sessions powered by Mentimeter.
• Gain exclusive insights: Be among the first to hear key findings from the upcoming book, “Meeting the Inclusion Challenge in Innovation.”
• Learn from the best: Discover best practices from successful Living Labs in Norway and Belgium.

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to ignite new ideas, enhance your research, and refine your practices around user involvement in innovation.

Secure your spot now and be part of the movement to elevate user voices in innovation!

Lead by: Tora Bonnevie (NTNU), Natalia Murashova (Høgskolen i Østfold), Giovanni De Grandis (NTNU)

Attempts to take responsibility for the future take different approaches. We can try to foresee what is likely to happen and then readjust it to meet our current goals and values. Alternatively, we can envision a future that we collectively commit to creating.
Both approaches are wrought with challenges: one may seem too conservative and the other too utopian, one may seem epistemologically too ambitious, the other may raise value disagreements that we are unable to reconcile. In this interactive session we explore the attractions and limits of anticipation and vision with a special focus on responsibility and inclusion.

Convened by: Anne Blanchard, UiB / Giovanni De Grandis, NTNU / Anamika Chatterje, NTNU/DLN

Download pdf with abstracts for the session.

Programme for the session - RRI in biotech

Chair: Anamika Chatterje

17.20 - The Research Ethics cards as a RRI tool: Reflections concerning power asymmetry. Hedda Smedheim Bjerklund, UiT-The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway

17.45 - Exploring ethical dimensions of AI therapy design tools in Precision Oncology through SPARK: The example of the NTNU DrugLogics. Viviam Bermúdez, NTNU, Trondheim, Norway

18.10 - Envisioning the Future of Foods: The Intersections of “Sustainability”, Dietary Lifestyles and Gene Technology in Australia. Christina Wenzl, The University of Adelaide, Australia

Convened by: Giovanni De Grandis (AFINO/NTNU) and Matthias Kaiser (AFINO/UiB)

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Programme for the session

Chair: Matthias Kaiser

17.20 - What Makes Study of Disagreements about Biotechnologies Responsible? Lessons from the Case of Golden Rice. Rachel A. Ankeny, Wageningen University, Netherlands

17.45 - Cultured meat and responsible research when the future is an illusion for financial speculation. Richard Helliwell, Ruralis, Norway