Anna Pellizzone
MY BACKGROUND:
Natural scientist by training, my job experience at the interplay between science and society follows on my master degree on science journalism, and my PhD thesis on public engagement with energy technologies. I have several years of experience in the design, conduction and analysis of public engagement activities; in the support of concrete implementation of RRI at the institutional level; in training activities on RRI and in communication around research and innovation. I am also collaborating with the Italian National Research Council, where I have been responsible for the design and conduction of a social scientific research on geothermal energy.
WHY AM I INTERESTED IN RESPONSIBLE RESEARCH AND INNOVATION:
My enthusiasm for Responsible Research and Innovation stems from different reasons. A personal – and older – one, which was the need to combine my passion for science and my passion for humanities, when I had to choose my university career. A political one, which is the awareness that research and innovation are rapidly shaping our societies, and that everyone has the right to have a voice on that. A professional one, which is having (as it is my) the ambition to concretely contribute in making research and innovation more open, accessible and inclusive, and changing the culture of science governance. And a fortuitous one, as I was so lucky to meet the right people, at the right time, in the right place. Among them, Agnes Allansdottir, my master degree and PhD tutor, and the whole team of Giannino Bassetti Foundation, which is pioneering the concept and practice of responsible innovation for more than 25 years.
WHAT DO I HOPE TO LEARN / CONTRIBUTE AS COUNTRY CORRESPONDENT:
RRI is sometimes perceived by companies, policy-makers, researchers, and citizens as something too complex and abstract to be implemented and to function as a driver for change. We all strongly believe this is not the truth, but I think that enhancing our ability to measure the impacts of responsible approaches to research and innovation is mandatory for the RRI community. As SUPER MoRRI Country Correspondent I hope to give my support in reaching this ambition, at the same time contributing to the debate and reflection around responsible research and innovation governance, in both Italy and Europe. I hope to help in bridging the monitoring needs of the Italian RPOs and RFOs with the purposes of the SUPER MoRRI project, towards the development of useful and applicable indicators. Furthermore, the chance of meeting with professionals and colleagues from other European Countries will be a key mutual learning exercise in order to further our understanding of RRI.