Delivering Public Value from New Technologies
A seminar series organised by Dr David J. Grimshaw of Practical Action in collaboration with Professor Brian Wynne, Professor Ian Scoones, Professor Melissa Leach and Professor Phil Macnaghten.
The aim of the seminar series is to promote the development and adoption of appropriate science-led new technologies that directly improves the lives of poor people. The main impediment to this aim is that research and development spending is most quickly recouped by marketing to those people who can afford to pay high prices. Hence market demand rather than human need is the driver of science-led new technologies. More specifically we wish to pursue our aim through the following objectives:
- To facilitate north-south stakeholder participation in the process of re-framing understandings about the role of science and technology in human development.
- To increase recognition of the role of technology in human development, with an emphasis on improving the choice people have about which technologies are developed and how they are diffused.
- To conceptualise new business models or processes that would support outcomes of science-led new technologies that fulfil human need rather than market demand.
- To develop a means of building an interdisciplinary approach to future research agendas.
The bringing together of scientists, development specialists, and a variety of stakeholders in southern countries will be a force for change not just an academic talking shop.
Seminars in the series:
22 February 2007 Seminar 1: Reframing understandings about the role of science and technology in human development
The first seminar was at the Schumacher Centre for Technology and Development, Bourton on Dunsmore, Rugby, UK. A set of disciplinary position papers, with a focus around the key issues, were presented, plus discussion and inputs from practice and developing countries.
24 May 2007 Seminar 2: Making innovation work for the poor in a globalised world
The second seminar, on 21 May 2007 at the ESRC STEPS Centre at the University of Sussex, was on increasing the recognition of the role of technology in human development, with an emphasis on improving the choice people have about which technologies are developed and how they are diffused.
24 November 2008 Seminar 3: Taking the research agenda forward.
Building on the interdisciplinary frameworks and taking these forward into empirically based research.
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