What on Earth is Responsible Innovation anyway? (And how to make it happen)

The case for Responsible Innovation has been well articulated in the areas of science research and Corporate Social Responsibility in business. This paper presents a case for adopting a design-led approach in order to promote responsibility in innovation. It uses a case-study review of ten years of innovation projects to explore the similarities and differences between approaches to Social Innovation and Commercial Innovation in order to explore the values of design-led Responsible Innovation across these contexts. The research draws upon industry expertise, Masters projects and theoretical models. In particular it relates the attributes of the design-led approach to the four dimensions model proposed by Stilgoe et al. It concludes by proposing a framework that draws upon notions of Deep Empathy as proposed by Michlewski, Dynamic Mapping, Consequence Visioning and Toggling between micro and macro views. The study aims to demonstrate how adopting a design-led approach supports teams in pursuit of Responsible Innovation. It connects what we already understand about Responsible Innovation with what we know about design-led multidisciplinary innovation practices and establishes focus for future studies that will promote this type of practice as the norm. It is based upon the findings of a public debate and a review of Masters projects undertaken over the past decade. The paper concludes by proposing a framework approach in order to promote the identified attributes of design-led innovation and an assertion that we need to move beyond Responsible Innovation to Innovation for GOOD.