Abstract

This chapter introduces the concept of ‘responsible innovation’ which is also sometimes referred to as ‘responsible research and innovation’. Responsible innovation became prominent particularly between 2011 and 2016 in Europe and North America, receiving high-profile support from the European Commission. Responsible innovation is concerned with (i) reducing the potential for unintended, harmful consequences associated with science, technology, and innovation and (ii) aligning innovation with societal values and the grand challenges facing society. The chapter examines the origins of responsible innovation, explains how and why innovations can generate unintended consequences and unpacks concepts and terms fundamental to this innovation approach. We outline some of the challenges facing responsible innovation in practice, including the ways in which it may become instrumentalised, as well as challenges posed to the principles of responsible innovation by contemporary innovations. We explore emerging directions of travel in the evolution of this approach, including recent work to reconfigure responsible innovation such that it might learn from as well as be applicable to innovation developments in the Global South. We also describe efforts to reclaim the focus of responsible innovation on responsibility at the level of broader innovation systems, rather than just single technologies.