On Wednesday 10 November 2021, the boutique consultancy White, in close collaboration with the European Association of Development Agencies (EURADA) and the consultancy WeDo, organised the second joint webinar of the series “RRI and regional development: common dilemmas, different approaches”. The series is part of a collaborative dissemination effort of four projects, TeRRItoria, SeeRRI, RRI2SCALE and DigiTeRRI, that fall under the European Commission’s innovation investment programme Horizon 2020 (H2020). White is the manager of the communication package and stakeholder engagement of RRI2SCALE that focuses on the application of Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) at regional scale in the areas of smart cities, smart transport and renewable energy. 

 The webinar series brings together European territories from the four H2020 projects, Each webinar is devoted to a different family of territories that share common regional dilemmas, as well as similar socio-economic and geographic characteristics. The aim of the series is to connect policy-makers and experts from the territories to share their insights on how the same dilemmas and local challenges are experienced differently, as well as on how Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) elements are territoriality implemented in order to overcome them. 

“So far, we have succeeded in engaging 9 regional authorities across Europe over the course of 6 months. As White, we lead the engagement strategy. We provide guidelines, prepare agendas and high-quality dissemination material and set the thematic focus of the webinars. By collaborating with EURADA and WeDo, we have managed to cement our synergies in the field of regional RRI, while enlarging our policy stakeholder basis. This is of critical importance, as RRI across Europe must be done in a collaborative and open way, with the general public following the updates and having the necessary space to express their perspectives in a timely way. At White, we are contributing precisely on this: organising open events where stakeholders and citizens of Europe can remain updated about the latest developments in regional innovation policies, and have their due say”, says Thomas Bakratsas, an Associate Project Manager in White Research and Dissemination Manager of RRI2SCALE. 

During the webinars, speakers openly exchange good practices of how their territories adopt and apply key elements of RRI (governance, gender equality, public engagement, ethics, open access, science education) to overcome these dilemmas and propel green growth, digitization, and overall economic development. The sessions are organised as quick round-tables of peer-exchange on knowledge and local experience, with a view to strengthen the bonds between remote European territories, facilitate the flow of knowledge, and open new policy pathways to confront pressure challenges. 

For more information about RRI2SCALE and its events, please visit the project’s website or follow its social media accounts:  

Website: https://rri2scale.eu/  

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rri2scale/  

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rri2scale/about/  

Twitter: https://twitter.com/rri2scale  

 

EURADA Responsible Research and Innovation RRI RRI2SCALE Stakeholder Engagement Webinar