Stakeholder engagement in European research and innovation: An investigation into how and why EU R&I projects develop engagement tools.

Open research Europe Pub Date : 2025-04-15 eCollection Date: 2025-01-01 DOI:10.12688/openreseurope.19907.1
Luka Gudek, Madhura Rao, Jacqueline Broerse
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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background: The European Union's research and innovation (R&I) efforts have increasingly prioritised collaboration, co-creation, and stakeholder engagement to address complex systemic challenges in recent decades. However, while stakeholder engagement has become a cornerstone of EU innovation policy in this area, there has been limited research into how tools supporting stakeholder engagement are developed, deployed, and sustained within R&I projects. To address this gap, this article explores factors influencing the development of stakeholder engagement tools in European R&I projects and their relation to the broader European R&I trends.

Methods: This study adopts a qualitative approach, with conducting semi-structured interviews with 22 participants representing 14 Horizon Europe projects on topics of agri-food, bioeconomy, and sustainability. Data were collected, coded, and analysed concurrently and the emerging results guided which group was approached next.

Results: Tools developed within projects take up shape within distinct phases, denominated as Purpose, Prototyping, Praxis, and Post-project continuity. Each of these phases comes with distinct challenges and opportunities. The way projects approach these challenges and opportunities showcases two distinct approaches that might be indicative of broader project management work in European R&I projects. These are the Project-focused approach and the User-focused approach.

Conclusions: This study contributes to the broader discourse on sustainability innovation by providing empirical insights into the mechanisms and dynamics of stakeholder engagement tools in R&I projects. It underscores the importance of balancing structural R&I frameworks with flexible, participatory approaches to innovation. The findings offer actionable recommendations for policymakers, project coordinators, and funders to support the development of robust and inclusive stakeholder engagement tools that mobilise diverse actors and facilitate systemic change aligned with the EU's sustainability goals.

利益相关者在欧洲研究和创新中的参与:对欧盟研发项目如何以及为什么开发参与工具的调查。
背景:近几十年来,欧盟的研究与创新(R&I)工作越来越重视合作、共同创造和利益相关者参与,以应对复杂的系统性挑战。然而,尽管利益相关者参与已成为欧盟在这一领域创新政策的基石,但关于如何在研发项目中开发、部署和维持支持利益相关者参与的工具的研究有限。为了解决这一差距,本文探讨了影响欧洲R&I项目中涉众参与工具发展的因素,以及它们与更广泛的欧洲R&I趋势的关系。方法:本研究采用定性方法,对代表14个欧洲地平线项目的22名参与者进行了半结构化访谈,主题为农业食品、生物经济和可持续性。数据同时收集、编码和分析,新出现的结果指导下一个接触哪一组。结果:在项目中开发的工具在不同的阶段形成,命名为目的、原型、实践和项目后的连续性。每个阶段都伴随着不同的挑战和机遇。项目处理这些挑战和机遇的方式展示了两种不同的方法,这可能是欧洲R&I项目中更广泛的项目管理工作的指示。它们是以项目为中心的方法和以用户为中心的方法。结论:本研究通过对研发项目中利益相关者参与工具的机制和动态提供实证见解,有助于更广泛地讨论可持续性创新。它强调了平衡结构性研究与创新框架与灵活、参与式创新方法的重要性。研究结果为政策制定者、项目协调员和资助者提供了可行的建议,以支持开发强大而包容的利益相关者参与工具,动员不同的参与者,促进与欧盟可持续发展目标一致的系统性变革。
本文章由计算机程序翻译,如有差异,请以英文原文为准。
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