LISIS
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Douglas K. R. Robinson

Director Adjoint du LISIS at the CNRS

Douglas K. R. Robinson is Deputy Director of LISIS, the Laboratory for Interdisciplinary studies of Science Innovation and Society (LISIS).  Since 2017 Douglas has been a senior researcher at the CNRS, France (Sections 53 and 37), and an honorary senior research associate at the Institute of Innovation for Public Purpose (IIPP) at University College London, UK

Supervision

Douglas supervises a team of young researchers which combines (a) research into transformative socio-technical change with (b) analysis of actor strategies to direct and accelerate desirable change.  Through this combination of macro and micro-level perspective, the team explores a wide-range of topics which include: space sector transformations and changing strategies of space agencies and entrepreneurs, responsible and just « Blue Food » transitions, discontinuation and destabilisation of mobility systems, market formation as a route towards agroecological transitions in agrifood, and contributions of mission-oriented co-creation to achieve climate neutral cities.

             

Latest Activities

Speaker at the first European Missions Event organised under the PFUE: High-level Conference on Citizen Engagement in European Missions (Upcoming 21st March 2022)

As part of the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union (PFUE), in the first international meeting on the Horizon Europe Missions, Douglas will present insights on how cities can catalyse and scale co-innovation with citizens and the private sector to achieve climate-neutral cities.  The venue is the Economic, Social and Environmental Council (CESE), Palais d’Iena – 9, place d’Iena, 75016 Paris.  Further information can be found here.

Paper development workshop: Reimagining the diffusion of innovation (Upcoming 31st March 2022)

Douglas is managing Guest Editor of an “engaged” special issue of Technological Forecasting and Social Change entitled “GENERALISATION: Reimagining the diffusion of innovation in an era of grand societal challenges.” 20 promising papers on generalisation, diffusion and scaling will be shared and discussed. over two days. Find the call for paper development workshop and paper submissions here.

Speaker at the OECD event: TECHNOLOGY IN AND FOR SOCIETY – Innovating well for inclusive transitions (6th and 7th December 2021)

Douglas will present a synthesis of the first day of the meeting through a « mission-oriented » lens and explore openings for inclusive innovation and governance. See agenda here.

 

 

Biography

Interdisciplinary by training and in practice, Douglas is an expert in studying emerging fields of science, technology and innovations and characterising their link with socio-economic change. Originally trained as a physicist and space scientist, Douglas has been both researcher and consultant focusing on the emergence of breakthrough technologies and their transformation into working technologies in society.  A large part of his work is connecting academic research with real-world problems, through engagement exercises, operationalising responsible research and innovation (RRI), multi-stakeholder technology assessment and the development of policy relevant intelligence.  As part of this activity, Douglas often combines research with tool development to improve reflexivity and better anticipate on the co-evolution of technology, innovation and society.

Recently, Douglas has been engaged in the ramifications of mission-oriented policies for the research and innovation system, and how missions can be implemented by both targeted policy, by researchers and through co-creation activities.

Alongside publishing scientific articles, Douglas also produces reports on emerging technologies and their ramifications for the economy and for society, recent reports for public agencies and international organisations include OECD, European Space Agency and NASA.

Lab responsibilities

  • Deputy Director of LISIS UMR9003
  • Membre du Conseil de laboratoire
  • Membre du CODIR LISIS
  • Membre du Conseil de l’École Doctorale Organisations, Marchés, Institutions (ED 530, OMI)
  • Responsible for “PhD Mission” at LISIS
  • Co–responsable of the Innovation Studies team (previously known as Axe 1 & Equipe B comprising approximately 30 members of the lab) 2018 & 2019

Recent publications

Full publication list can be found here.

  • Robinson, D.K.R., Schoen, A., Laredo, P., Molas-Gallart, J., Warnke, P., Kuhlmann, S. and Ordóñez-Matamoros, G. (2021) Policy lensing of future-oriented strategic intelligence: An experiment connecting foresight with decision making contexts. Technological Forecasting and Social Change. Volume 169, August 2021, 120803. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2021.120803
  • Robinson, D.K.R., Simone, A. and Mazzonetto, M. (2020) RRI Legacies: Co-creation for Responsible, Equitable and Fair Innovation in Horizon Europe. Journal of Responsible Innovation. https://doi.org/10.1080/23299460.2020.1842633 
  • Boon, W. P., Edler, J., & Robinson, D. K. R. (2020). Market formation in the context of transitions: A comment on the transitions agenda. Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions. Volume 34, March 2020, Pages 346-347 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eist.2019.11.006
  • Robinson, D. K. R., & Mazzucato, M. (2019). The evolution of mission-oriented policies: Exploring changing market creating policies in the US and European space sector. Research Policy, 48(4), 936-948. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2018.10.005
  • Robinson, D. K. R., Lagnau, A., & Boon, W. P. (2019). Innovation pathways in additive manufacturing: Methods for tracing emerging and branching paths from rapid prototyping to alternative applications. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 146, 733-750. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2018.07.012
  • Joly, P. B., Matt, M., & Robinson, D. K. R. (2019). Research Impact Assessment: from ex post to real-time assessment. fteval Journal for Research and Technology Policy Evaluation, 47, 35-40. http://doi.org/10.22163/fteval.2019.326
  • Clare Shelley-Egan, D.M. Bowman and Douglas K. R. Robinson (2018). Mapping ‘devices of responsibility’ over a decade of responsible research and innovation initiatives for nanoscience and nanotechnology. Science and Engineering Ethics journal. December 2018, Volume 24, Issue 6, pp 1719–1746 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11948-017-9978-z

Links: www.cnrs.fr