Early integration of ethical and societal questions into R&D projects

The engineer or researcher involved in R&D projects is increasingly confronted with ethical and societal questions, i.e. those concerning the future of societies and their environment, the options between which to choose and the developments that should be avoided. Innovation trajectories, from fundamental research to the introduction of new technologies into society, are the result of a myriad of decisions, deliberate or otherwise, whose effects are more or less significant and irreversible. This is why, since the middle of the 20th century, various players, starting with legislators, have been concerned with defining and implementing methods for assessing and acting on the characteristics and effects of technologies, whether emerging or about to be introduced into society.

Insofar as these concerns now concern not only political players, but also companies, researchers and engineers, as well as a wide range of actors and stakeholders in society, it was pertinent to take stock of the reasons that have led to this early consideration of societal issues, i.e. right from the research, R&D and design stages. These reasons stem not only from internal developments in the engineering world, but also from pressures from society, new ways of understanding the societal implications of science and technology, and debates and developments in societal technology assessment methods. The article outlines these reasons and the changes underway, and identifies three key issues. They concern the risks of irreversibility, the implicit aspects of many choices with unexpected consequences, and the proliferation of promises surrounding scientific and technological (S&T) developments.

The article then presents a series of approaches, classified into families according to whether they are primarily concerned with the effects of technologies, the ethical and societal values embedded in them, the processes of stakeholder involvement and participation, or proximity to ordinary S&T activity. Each approach is briefly characterized in terms of its principles and implementation methods. Each approach is also enriched by feedback from experience, so that we can identify its relevance, effects and limits of validity.

This issue is at the heart of all major S&T developments, and permeates laboratory research as much as design office work, industrial strategy, public innovation policies and the social debates surrounding S&T dynamics.