July of this year saw the first annual meeting of the Virtual Institute for responsible Innovation (VIRI). To readers who might not know the institute – VIRI was created to accelerate the formation of a community of scholars and practitioners who, despite divides in geography and political culture, will create a common concept of responsible innovation for research, training and outreach – and in doing so contribute to the governance of emerging technologies under conditions dominated by high uncertainty, high stakes, and challenging questions of novelty.

The meeting was held in Sussex, UK, between 14th to 16th July, and as a founding institutional member of VIRI the Bassetti Foundation was present.

The meeting was hosted by SPRU, the Science and Policy research Unit at the University of Sussex, and opened with an introduction from their Professor of Science & Democracy James Wilsdon. VIRI Director Dave Guston then took the floor and outlined the aims of the meeting before an opening dinner.

After an overview of current members’ projects, the second day of the meeting was very much dedicated to early career research presentations. Before lunch the following papers were presented:

Miles Brundage (ASU): Responsible Innovation as a Scientific/Intellectual Movement

Shahar Avin (Google/Cambridge): Is This a Waste of Time? Clarifying and Communicating the Aims of RI

Hannot Rodriguez Zabaleta (University of Basque Country): Safety as a “Grand Challenge”: EHS Aspects in the Light of RRI

Lilian van Hove (Genok): Towards a Responsible Approach: Challenges and Implications of Digital Research Practices within Nano-safety Research

Helen Gray of Taylor & Francis joined the meeting for lunch to discuss the Journal of Responsible Innovation, a project very much tied to VIRI activities. The second issue of the second volume has just been released, and the journal has been very well received.

After lunch the early career panel continued with:

Ana Paula Camelo (UNICAMP): Responsible Innovation within Energy Projects in Brazil: Trends and Challenges

Bart Walhout (Twente): Making a Difference with Responsible Innovation

Anders Braarud Hanssen (HiOA): Post-normal Patenting: The Impacts of Tacit Science and Technology Models for Patenting Biotechnology in Europe

Andrew J. Hunter (Sussex): Science Lobbying as Public Drama

One of the major goals of the VIRI project is the creation of a virtual library of teaching materials for RI, and the evening and following morning sessions were dedicated to this aim. The discussions were lead by Brenda Trinidad, ASU, curator of the virtual library under the title The Vision for and implementation of a Virtual RI Curriculum.

As the meeting drew to a close Andoni Ibarra, University of Basque Country invited members to the second annual meeting, to be held at the University of Basque Country in 2016, plans for future collaborations were put into motion before ice cream on Brighton pier and home.

Once again VIRI provided an extremely well organized and stimulating event, and all at the Foundation look forward to continuing our participation.

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