Sustainable innovation policy advice using a citizen-expert-citizen approach to ‘aspirations’ mapping

Building upon a general conceptual debate about the nature and production of knowledge, this chapter traces the manner in which different norms, visions and experiences are mobilised when framing future sustainability outcomes, with a view to promoting the effective design of strategic public engagement mechanisms. As demonstrated, whereas citizens tend to emphasise the importance of multi-dimensional and holistic development, in which ecological, social and economic components interact in a complex manner, experts focus on the elaboration of narrower and more specific questions and challenges. The
normative tension between perspectives is illustrative of the broader need for more inclusive, sustained and continuous cooperation between science and society at different stages of the policy-making and innovation processes. At the same time, it calls for the careful and proactive forging of public engagement methodologies that allow complementary (or indeed diverging) values, norms, and propositions to be acknowledged and put into context, so as to ensure greater accountability among a larger group of participants and societal stakeholders.