OUR VISION

Modern societies depend on scientific knowledge and its application through technology and innovation. Too often the public plays the role of passive recipient, without any control of, or influence over technology trends and research priorities. And while science and technology faces increasing scrutiny, opinions and choices are often shaped more by misunderstanding, or even misinformation, than reasoned and informed decision-making.

To bridge the gap in Europe between science/innovative technologies and the public, the European Commission is funding the development of PUSH, a communications tool for entering into an open dialogue in non-scientific language with the public.

OUR GOAL

The PUSH goal is to provide an innovative Communication approach to promote a new dialogue between Science and Society involving the citizens in the discussions on modern Science and Technology choices.

OUR MISSION

Science and society

PUSH project is aimed to help citizens to better understand both the beneficial impact of science and technology on their day-to-day lives as well as the potential limitations and implications of technological developments.

Using the Internet

The PUSH project will result in a social Communication Methodology utilising an Internet-Based Platform. PUSH will allow the co-ordinated preparation, promotion and facilitation of a near real-time public dialogue to provide indications of prevailing social attitudes and perceptions regarding specific new technologies.

Through a user-friendly Internet portal citizens will be involved in the discussions on S&T choices, will be supported in developing their own informed opinions about the ethical and social impact of new technologies and will be asked to speak out their ideas.

Creating understanding

The PUSH objective - a reliable method for assessing the social impact of new technologies - also has great value for industry. The methodology empowers the public, giving people the chance to influence the research process by encouraging industry to introduce sustainable and socially acceptable technologies.

The methodology helps also to identify acceptable uses for a given technology, as well as product lines with strong marketing implications, widespread and early adoption by the public, and hence the commercial success, of innovative products and services is directly linked to consumers’ knowledge and acceptance.

A self-sustainable solution

PUSH is designed to be self-sustainable from a commercial standpoint. With the pilot project's successful implementation, the resulting methodology will be made available on a commercial basis to the R&D departments of major European companies.

ScienceXpress is about communicating - innovative ideas, thoughts and feelings - and empowering people to make decisions about the developments that can impact on their lives. Many of the devices for such communications are well recognised and commonly employed media tools. But the real knack comes in bringing them all together and getting people to participate. To make this possible, a novel and groundbreaking methodology has been developed so that ALL stakeholders in society and the Scientific Community can be involved at the same time. It is the ScienceXpress approach, its formula for first learning, and then informing and finally listening to those involved that marks it out as a pioneering initiative.

So how does the methodology work?

Once a scientific idea or technological innovation comes into view and someone involved in the process believes it may cause society concern if not properly understood, the ScienceXpress process kicks into gear.

First, information about the development is collected and analysed in detail. Then, its impact on society and the identity of the stakeholders in society - where they live, what they do, how they will be affected - are laid out systematically to focus on the main issues and protagonists. This is followed up by activity in relevant media and a comprehensive information campaign, tailor-made to help the uninformed understand the important issues and what kinds of decisions they need to make.

At the centre of this process is an interactive web portal from which the various activities feed and through which the various stakeholders can get involved and interact. A dedicated team of experts familiar with the methodology, its goals and the subjects under discussion, are at hand to keep the information tight and to-the-point.

The Methodology Steps
Technology Screening | Scenario & Stakeholders | Information & Communication | Dialogue | Results

Technology screening

This first stage is of great importance: It is the link between the Promoter - the source of the innovation that may impact on society - and the expertise programmed into the methodology. Since they are likely to be the only ones who can describe the innovation in detail, the Promoter's knowledge helps ScienceXpress locate and inform the relevant expertise. Carefully selected information about their technology is collected and analysed in detail through a specially prepared questionnaire and face-to-face interviews...

The Vision
It is a general assumption that the public plays the role of a passive recipient in the realm of scientific and technological development: lacking the power to influence technology trends and research priorities.
The innovation is offered suddenly, with no prior consideration of the public opinion about its potential benefits or social consequences.

The Objective
The overall aim of the project is to provide an innovative Communication approach to promote a new dialogue between Science and Society involving the citizen in the discussions on S&T choices. The European research programme on Competitive and Sustainable Growth will be taken as the reference to test this approach.

The Strategy
This project aims to develop a social Communication Methodology utilizing an Internet-Based Platform, which enables a direct consultation with the public on specific issues, such as Innovative materials, products and processes.

The Platform will simultaneously provide all the relevant information available on the topic in an easily accessible format.
The information aims to be exhaustive and complete, thus providing the various opinions, debates and ambiguities in order to stimulate a conscious debate.

The Target and Advantages
Two categories will benefit from this initiative: the citizens and the institutional/business players:

Relating to Citizens (consumers, workers, educators, parents, etc.),
Push will offer them the opportunity:

- to easily access a previously hidden knowledge, which will be now provided in a complete and impartial way, through non-scientific language
- to understand better both the benefits and the limitations of scientific and technological developments on their day-to-day lives
- to improve the quality of their life as well as their professional, investment, consumer and educational choices.
- to profit from the stimulating exchange of opinion with the researchers, experts, business men and the opinion leaders

Relating to institutional/business players (research centres, policy-makers, experts, business men)
Push will:

In a wider and long term perspective, Push will offer a general benefit, through

The PUSH consortium evolved into the Sciencexpress Team.

Due to the aims and nature of the project, the Team is well balanced between scientific/technological and social players.

In fact, it includes specific competencies in technical and non-technical communication management (H&K -Waluerope), technology foresight and watch (RTC North), Internet-based communication tools (Cybion), and research methodologies (FUAC), and a strong capability to reach and involve both End Users, the Industry and Institutions (Movimento dei Cittadini and ASPEN).

Here you can read a brief presentation of each company and the names of the people involved.

If you are interested in a specific profile, click the logos and you'll be directed to the partners.

(see site - link at the beginning of this article)