This page has only limited features, please log in for full access.
In recent years there has been increasing attention to the transition toward a bioeconomy. From comparable transitions toward sustainability, we know that transitions require integral, inclusive approaches toward developing a long-term strategy, focusing not only on technological innovation, but also on involving the public. This is not easy. Public engagement encompasses diverse forms of public and civil society participation, and it is crucial to understand the specificities of these interactions and their effects on potential transition pathways. We present a conceptual-analytical paper where the focus lies on understanding sense-making practices in the construction of publics in the bioeconomy. Using a case-study approach, this article describes five partialities of the constructed public in the bioeconomy and analyzes the orchestration, productive dimensions and effects of these constructions. Our analysis offers a new perspective on, and appreciation of, the partiality of different forms of public participation, and varying degrees in which possibilities of system change in the bioeconomy transition are inclusive or exclusive toward differentially constructed publics. This offers an alternative, constructive way of exploring actor dynamics and politics in system change. We aim to contribute to a more nuanced and integral interpretation of public engagement in sustainability transitions, which is relevant to actors from academia, policy, industry and other spheres relevant to the bioeconomy transition.
Durwin H.J. Lynch; Pim Klaassen; Lan Van Wassenaer; Jacqueline E.W. Broerse. Constructing the Public in Roadmapping the Transition to a Bioeconomy: A Case Study from the Netherlands. Sustainability 2020, 12, 3179 .
AMA StyleDurwin H.J. Lynch, Pim Klaassen, Lan Van Wassenaer, Jacqueline E.W. Broerse. Constructing the Public in Roadmapping the Transition to a Bioeconomy: A Case Study from the Netherlands. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (8):3179.
Chicago/Turabian StyleDurwin H.J. Lynch; Pim Klaassen; Lan Van Wassenaer; Jacqueline E.W. Broerse. 2020. "Constructing the Public in Roadmapping the Transition to a Bioeconomy: A Case Study from the Netherlands." Sustainability 12, no. 8: 3179.
Growing waste production has become a global sustainability challenge that is in need of innovative solutions. It has been argued that greater public engagement in science and technology policy could stimulate new directions for innovation and provide orientation for the development of more acceptable, sustainable, and desirable innovations that address societal needs. In 2013, the European Commission (EC) piloted a EU-wide study to engage citizens in setting the research and innovation (R&I) agenda on urban waste. This yielded the question: ‘To what extent are the proposed ideas considered innovative, feasible, and meaningful for the EC R&I agenda?’ This article addresses the outcomes of 100 focus group discussions held in 27 European Union (EU) countries in which 992 citizens were consulted. Citizens discussed a number of (self-experienced) barriers and concerns regarding waste management, and proposed and prioritized over 350 ideas to realize a (near) zero-waste society. Although citizens found it complex to propose innovative and feasible ideas, their priorities were consistent with current EU research policy areas of importance (e.g., reduce packaging, stimulate recycling), and in addition, citizens proposed various new ways to strengthen current waste management (e.g., innovations to enhance convenience in household waste management). We argue that citizen involvement in EC R&I agenda-setting across the EU is feasible, and leads to meaningful input. However, in making sense of this input, it is essential to take contextual differences into account. Various recommendations are given for future agenda-setting activities at the EU level.
Durwin Lynch; Frank Kupper; Jacqueline Broerse. Toward a Socially Desirable EU Research and Innovation Agenda on Urban Waste: A Transnational EU Citizen Consultation. Sustainability 2018, 10, 1641 .
AMA StyleDurwin Lynch, Frank Kupper, Jacqueline Broerse. Toward a Socially Desirable EU Research and Innovation Agenda on Urban Waste: A Transnational EU Citizen Consultation. Sustainability. 2018; 10 (5):1641.
Chicago/Turabian StyleDurwin Lynch; Frank Kupper; Jacqueline Broerse. 2018. "Toward a Socially Desirable EU Research and Innovation Agenda on Urban Waste: A Transnational EU Citizen Consultation." Sustainability 10, no. 5: 1641.