TRANSFORM

Results of the TRANSFORM pathway in Lombardy presented at the local final event

Lucia Princikova — Thu, 29 Dec 2022 13:43:23 +0000

The experience in Lombardy provides effective and valuable tools to involve citizens in regional R&I policy making.

The closing event of the TRANSFORM Lombardy cluster was an important opportunity to open a discussion among actors involved in research and innovation governance, especially in a regional context. Following the contributions of partners and speakers, the debate revolved around responsible innovation and how the participatory approach developed by TRANSFORM can serve as a good example of citizen engagement in decision-making at local level.

On 17 November 2022, Fabrizio Sala, Vice-President and Councillor for Education, Universities, Research, Innovation, and Simplification of the Lombardy Region, opened the event at the Palazzo Pirelli in Milan. Referring to the quadruple helix approach, which involves citizens alongside universities, institutions, and companies, Sala stressed the importance of the “method of dialogue” tested and applied by TRANSFORM. “Being adherent to the needs and demands of citizens and the population, especially in a field like research, has become fundamental, in order to offer our children and future generations the best place to live,” Sala added.

Piero Bassetti, President of the Giannino Bassetti Foundation, referred to the problematic relationship between knowledge and power in today’s society and recalled the Foundation’s mission. He explained that the challenge of TRANSFORM – integrating the voice of citizens in R&I policies – is of utmost interest because “politics needs the norm and the norm needs knowledge.” And today, it is precisely this “decentralized knowledge” that can help us “understand the needs of the world.”

Angela Simone, TRANSFORM Project Coordinator from the Giannino Bassetti Foundation, then explained the objectives and structure of the project at European level, referring also to the context of Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) in which it is situated.

Elisabetta Confalonieri and Enza Cristofaro from the General for Education, Universities, Research, Innovation and Simplification of the Lombardy region reported on how the integration of citizens’ voices into research and innovation policy at local level came about. Confalonieri emphasized the challenge of involving citizens in policies that affect research and innovation and the value of methodologies, such as public deliberation for policy making, tested in the Lombardy Region by TRANSFORM. Cristofaro then provided an overview of the pathway from the administration’s perspective and explained what strategies have been put in place to overcome this challenge.

Anna Pellizzone, TRANSFORM Project Manager (Bassetti Foundation), explained the results achieved by TRANSFORM in Lombardy (for an overview of the journey, which included a first phase with the identification of research needs and a second phase with the organsiation of the Citizens Jury on Responsible Smart Mobility, follow this link). In particular, Pellizzone first presented the results of the first phase of the project, namely the indications and recommendations that emerged from the survey and deliberative workshop on “Just Energy Transition for All” (Italian reports on the two activities are available here).

Silvia Corbetta (Finlombarda, TRANSFORM’s local partner) described how the results of particiaptory activites were integrated into the research and innovation policies of the Lombardy region. More specifically, Corbetta explained how Finlombarda, the Lombardy’s region financial company that supports the Regione Lombardia in defining regional strategies, used the TRANFORM results to support the Region in the elaboration of the Smart Specialisation Strategy (S3) 2021-2027 and the Three-Year Strategic Programme STP – 2021-2023 (for more information on the integration of TRANSFORM ‘s results into the STP, click here).

The day continued with a keynote speech by Enrico Giovannini, Professor at the University of Rome “Tor Vergata” and former Minister of Sustainable Infrastructure and Mobility, dedicated to the theme of the role of citizens and society in a just ecological transition for all. Giovannini stressed the importance of informing and sensitising citizens (as happened in TRANSFORM), and quoted Massimo L. Salvadori (the well-known historian and politician from Piedmont). He explained that actual progress is progress where “we agree on what we want to achieve. “The bottom-up movement is the only hope we have,” and the Agenda 2030 represents the highest point reached so far. Giovannini adds that Italians “want to discuss, and they want to discuss in an orderly way, not in a chaotic way. We must continue in this direction,” Giovannini concluded.

Anna Pellizzone then resumed the overview of TRANSFORM ‘s achievements at the local level, illustrating the final phase of the participatory journey: the Citizens’ Jury, dedicated to responsible smart mobility. Citizens’ Jury took place over two days in June 2022 (video available here, and the report with the results here).

The keynote speech that followed, by Guido Scorza, a member of the Italian Data Protection Authority, was dedicated to privacy and data protection issues and topics of responsibility related to data-driven services, which were considered a priority by the Citizens’ Jury. Scorza cited the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), reminding the audience that the Regulation is also about the free flow of personal data and that the ultimate goal is precisely to maximize its use. If properly applied, the GDPR is, therefore, an important tool to improve the lives of citizens.

. “The TRANSFORM project “, Scorza added, “is an excellent example because it takes an approach where dialogue between the administration and citizens allows for a balance between data protection concerns and proposals.”

Giudo Scroza, a member of the Italian Data Protection Authority

Matteo Pozzetti from the Directorate General for Education, Universities, Research, Innovation and Simplification explained how the results of the project, and in particular those that emerged from the Citizens’ Jury on Smart Mobility, will feed into the Region’s policies, moving from the design phase to the implementation phase.

“The process of tackling common problems such as smart mobility and energy transition, working together with policymakers and different stakeholders, has been excellently implemented in the TRANSFORM project,” said Agnes Allansdottir (University of Siena), a researcher working on the relationship between science and society and an expert in methodologies for consulting citizens and monitoring public opinion on the impact of technologies and technosciences. “It could be useful for the Lombardy region to also have a tool to monitor public opinion and the level of trust in science and research,” Allansdottir concluded.

The full video of the day and all materials about the conference (speaker presentations, photos, agenda of the day) are available here.

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TRANSFORM project results presented at the Final Conference on 1 – 2 December

Lucia Princikova — Mon, 19 Dec 2022 11:45:19 +0000

The project leaves behind useful recommendations for including citizens in local R&I policies.

The final event of the TRANSFORM project took place on 1 – 2 December. A concluding moment to share the project results at the European level and reflect on the themes and practices developed during the three years of activities. The conference, which was held in a hybrid format at the National Museum of Science and Technology “Leonardo da Vinci” in Milan and on the Zoom platform, featured international speakers, partners from three regional clusters (Lombardy, Brussels-Capital Region and Catalonia) and members of the Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) community.

The full video of the day is available here.

DAY 1

Angela Simone, TRANSFORM Project Coordinator, Bassetti Foundation, opened the first day by giving an overview of the project, summarising its main phases and explaining how activities were reorganised following the Covid- 19 pandemic.

The first keynote speech, given by Anna Berti Suman (JRC-EC Ispra), was dedicated to “Sensing for justice”, the project, which earned the researcher the Falling Walls Science Breakthrough of the Year 2022 – Section Civic Evidence of Environmental Harms award. Berti Suman introduced the topic of citizen science, especially in the environmental field, as a tool to collect information, provide scientific evidence in European courts and mediating legal disputes, since, Berti Suman emphasised, citizens not only have the right to access data but also to contribute to its production.

ACTIVITIES AND RESULTS OF THREE REGIONAL CLUSTERS

After the keynote, TRANSFORM moved to showcase the project results. The first session focused on the activities conducted by the Lombardy cluster. Angela Simone, as cluster leader, introduced the context, the actors and the objectives of the activities in Lombardy. Anna Pellizzone, TRANSFORM Project Manager (Bassetti Foundation) and involved in Lombardy actions, explained the two strands of activities carried out: a participatory research agenda setting exercise to define the needs of citizens in Lombardy region in the field of research and innovation (with a focus on the just energy transition), and a Citizens’ Jury in the field of responsible data-driven smart mobility. Silvia Corbetta, Finlombarda S.p.A., and Enza Cristofaro, Lombardy Region, then outlined the impact of the project on regional policies and shared their experiences and reflections on using this type of participatory and deliberative methodologies.

The second session was devoted to citizen science implemented in Catalonia. Introduced by Louise Francis, founder of Mapping for Change and member of the TRANSFORM Advisory Board for the Catalan cluster, who stressed that levels of participation in citizen science can be very diverse and the importance of considering the factors that can influence the project on a social, political and inclusiveness level. Then the members of the Catalan TRANSFORM cluster, led by Rosa Arias, (Science for Change), presented the activities developed during the three years of the project. Diana Reinoso, TRANSFORM Project Manager at Science for Change, spoke in particular about the pilot project on endometriosis carried out in collaboration with the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau and its patients, while Josep Perellò (Open Systems UB – Universitat de Barcelona) described the waste pilot in which high school students acted as protagonists in the development of an interactive “game” to collect opinions and suggestions from the local population on the issue of waste collection in Mollet del Valles. Finally, Sergio Martínez, from the Department of Economic Strategy of the Generalitat de Catalunya highlighted the importance of the project as a learning moment with a view to preparing concrete actions, setting common goals and creating a common language between the population and the public administrations.

Moving on to the third cluster, Marzia Mazzonetto, head of the Brussels-Capital cluster (BE Participation), introduced the TRANSFORM journey conducted through multi-stakeholder engagement and design thinking for social innovation. The cluster selected three pilot projects addressing circular economy issues, two linked to universities and one developed with the third sector and businesses. Joaquin Landazuri (UCLouvain) presented the “Algorella” pilot, the project developed by a group of students that aims to produce a healthy food made from waste and based onvitamin B12. The results collected through this pathway suggested indications of citizens’ habits, attitudes and opinions on this type of product, helping innovators in further development. Maité Debry (BE Participation) introduced the Unsold food pilot ì, an experience that allowed associations, citizens, private companies, researchers and local public authorities to address the issue of unsold food management, demonstrating how participatory activities can prove helpful in finding common solutions, even in conflictual contexts. Finally, Jérémy Levin (Innoviris) presented the results that emerged from the activities and how Innoviris intends to use them in its policy and R&I support actions in the Brussels-Capital Region.

The experiences of the three European TRANSFORM regions were further enriched by dialogue with the citizen engagement activities carried out by the Museum of Science in Boston within the project “Building Capacity for Co-Created Public Engagement with Science” (CC-PES). David Sittenfeld presented the project together with Max Cawley, who reported on the experience developed at the Museum of Life & Science in Durham, North Carolina (CC-PES).

The first day concluded with a dialogue between Giulia Bubbolini (Center for Innovation and Economic Development – CISE), one of the experts on the Advisory Board of TRANSFORM, and Roger Strand from the University of Bergen, who leads the project’s monitoring and evaluation activities. Bubbolini and Strand reflected on the importance of the local impact of these experiences, related to the process developed in each region, and not just the metrics that can be difficult to measure in these types of RRI processes.

DAY 2

At the beginning of the second day of the conference, Angela Simone presented project tools that can be used by regional policymakers to integrate citizen engagement practices among their activities. Executive Summaries of the three Roadmaps developed by TRANSFORM are available at this link, as well as the project’s e-book, with contents and links to in-depth information that summarises the journey over the past 36 months.

Marzia Mazzonetto then presented how experiences were shared among the different clusters, in a continuous process of mutual learning on tested methodologies, activities and challenges. The next session allowed for a discussion between some stakeholders who participated in the project (especially in the Belgian and Catalan clusters, whose methodologies required the involvement of stakeholders other than citizens), including Elisa Llurba i Olivé, Director of the Gynaecological Area at the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau who was the first to propose the pilot project on endometriosis in Catalonia, María Busquets from the Municipality of Mollet del Vallès, who was involved in the pilot project on waste management, Alain Boribon (Co-founder of Citizenfund and RECYCLO. coop) and Ludovic Libert from HappyHours Market, involved in the pilot project on the management of unsold food in the Brussels-Capital Region.

The conference closed with a final panel discussion with relevant speakers presenting examples of citizen and stakeholder engagement in research and innovation policies at the European level, but with a territorial focus, and discussed how TRANSFORM and its experiences can be included in or inspire their pathways. Anna Renkamp gave an overview of the Future of Europe Conference and the role of regions and cities in this context, bringing the experience of capacity building and support for local citizen participation processes, a joint project of the Bertelsmann Stiftung Foundation with the Committee of the Regions. Francesco Amodeo from DG Regio shared experiences of citizen engagement promoted by the European Commission in the context of cohesion policy, including the DG Regio-OECD collaboration “Engaging citizens in cohesion policy” on how to engage citizens in decision-making processes for policy making ì, and the EUTeens4Green project, which has launched a call to promote the participation of youth from different European regions in the just energy transition (Deadline: 9 January 2023). Ryan Titley, from the European Regions Research and Innovation Network (ERRIN), spoke about the role of collaboration among quadruple-helix actors in European Missions, starting with some of the initiatives ERRIN is involved in, including the EU H2020 project NetZeroCities, which supports more than 100 cities involved in the #Cities Mission, the EU H2020 MOSAIC project, and the CrAFt (Creating Actionable Futures) platform. Finally, Ramojous Reimeris from the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre in Seville spoke about Partnerships for Regional Innovation (PRI), a pilot process and potential successor to S3, and mentioned some of the tools, including the recently published “Partnerships for Regional Innovation Playbook”, and the Open Discovery Process, which broadens the spectrum of stakeholders to be involved in shaping the Plan, including citizens.

Participants’ contributions, in person and online, enriched the discussion and shared different experiences on the topic. The event marked the end of a three-year journey to accompany and guide local governments in the three participating regions towards increasingly inclusive, transparent, and democratic innovation. The experiences gained and the tools left behind by TRANSFORM will be available to decision-makers to help them integrate the voices of citizens and different R&I stakeholders into their policies and strategies on research and innovation.

VIDEO

PHOTO GALLERY

PRESENTATIONS

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Three years of the TRANSFORM project: results and learning in the application of citizen science in Catalonia

Lucia Princikova — Tue, 29 Nov 2022 12:15:11 +0000

On November 21, the Catalan cluster of the TRANSFORM project held its final event to share the results and lessons learned acquired during these 3 years of work. Under the title “Responsible research and innovation, citizen science and public policies” more than 70 people attended the event held at the Palau Robert.

The TRANSFORM project brings together three European regions (Lombardy, Brussels-Capital and Catalonia) to experiment with different innovative participatory methodologies. The Catalan cluster has used citizen science as an instrument to move towards a greener, digital, resilient and fair socio-economic model. More specifically, two citizen science pilots have been carried out in Catalonia: one on the selective collection of waste and another on the health of women with endometriosis.

To close these three years of collaborative work, the Catalan cluster -led by Science for Change, in collaboration with the Department of Economic Strategy of the Generalitat de Catalunya and the OpenSystems research group of the University of Barcelona – has organised the final act of the TRANSFORM project at local level. One of the objectives of the Catalan cluster was to introduce the principles of responsible research and innovation (RRI) in the practice of public policies and in the Strategy for Smart Specialisation of Catalonia (RIS3CAT 2030).

The event began with a welcome and presentations by Dr Josep Perelló, leader of the OpenSystems group, and Rosa Arias, CEO of Science for Change. During their presentations, both underlined the importance and transformative potential of citizen science as a tool to improve public policies.

This introduction was followed by the round table presentations of two citizen science pilots that have been carried out in the Catalan territory with representatives of each pilot.

HEALTH PILOT

In the field of women’s health, the Catalan cluster has worked together with the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics of the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau and the Agency for Health Quality and Assessment of Catalonia (AQuAS) on the pilot about endometriosis in first person. In this collaborative research, health professionals and women with endometriosis have worked hand in hand to deepen their biopsychosocial experiences of the disease and their experiences, needs, and recommendations regarding health services.

20 women diagnosed with endometriosis participated as co-investigators, playing an active role in the data collection phases, in the formulation of recommendations and in the dissemination of the results. As a result, a policy brief has been published for decision-makers and health personnel, presenting the recommendations co-created by women for the improvement of health services in relation to endometriosis.

Dr. Elisa Llurba, Director of the Obstetrics and Gynecology Service, Dr. Ramon Rovira, coordinator of the Surgical Area, the Gynecology Oncology Area and the Endometriosis Unit of the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Marta Fonseca and Noelia Pitarque, co-investigators of the project, participated in this round table, moderated by Nora Salas Seoane, Head of the Health Area at Science for Change.

“Applying citizen science to a women’s health issue such as endometriosis has allowed us to give a voice, accompany and empower people with endometriosis who have been able to work collaboratively with health professionals towards a common goal: to make visible an under-diagnosed disease that affects 10% of women and contribute to the improvement of health services and early diagnosis thanks to its recommendations. We want to move towards a medicine that really takes into account once and for all the needs of women”

Nora Salas Seoane, Head of the Health Area at Science for Change.

WASTE PILOT

On the other hand, in the field of waste management and sustainability, the Catalan cluster has worked together with the Mollet del Vallès City Council, the Autonomous University of Barcelona and secondary schools in Mollet del Vallès to contribute to improving the municipal selective waste collection system.

For this pilot project, a digital game on waste, called “Dilemma R“, was co-designed as a tool to inform citizens about innovative selective collection systems and, in turn, collect their preferences and barriers when implementing them. In the design process, the pilot followed a participatory model, involving as many actors as possible. As proof that citizen science can have an impact on public policies, the City Council approved the new contract for cleaning public spaces and waste collection, taking into account the proposals from the pilot, which have been evaluated and incorporated into the new contract.

This round table was attended by Guifré Ortiz, Head of the Urban Services Section of the Mollet del Vallès City Council, Sandra Palma, Manager of the Mollet del Vallès Municipal Institute of Education, Myra Ronzoni, Operational Manager of the ECIU University project from the Autonomous University of Barcelona and Adrià Navarro, a student at the Sant Gervasi School, moderated by Diana Reinoso, Project Manager of the TRANSFORM project in Science for Change.

“Citizen science has allowed us to involve the public, and especially students, in improving waste management in the municipality, in addition to obtaining very relevant information for the successful implementation of innovative systems such as door-to-door or smart containers. It is a replicable project that can be used by other town halls in the same situation, that are considering making a change in the system and that want to involve citizens in the process in a dynamic and innovative way.”

Diana Reinoso, Project Manager at Science for Change.

Impact on public policies

To close the event, Tatiana Fernández, Head of the Economic Strategy Area of the Secretariat for Economic Affairs and European Funds of the Generalitat de Catalunya, shared with the attendees the role of citizen science within the framework of RIS3CAT 2030 and also its experience and learning from the TRANSFORM project.

“When we started the TRANSFORM project, we were not sure how to collaborate in it, nor did we know what citizen science would bring us. Now we have seen that it is a tool that allows us to improve the effectiveness of public policies and services”

Tatiana Fernández, Head of the Economic Strategy Area of the Secretariat for Economic Affairs and European Funds of the Generalitat de Catalunya

Finally, the participants discussed the challenges and opportunities of citizen science in Catalonia in a round table led by Tatiana Fernández, Xavier Gironès, Coordinator of the Territorial Impact of Knowledge of the Department of Research and Universities of the Generalitat de Catalunya, Xavier Ariño, Head of the Office of Institutional Projects of the Autonomous University of Barcelona, Diana Escobar, Coordinator of Projects of the Department of Science and Universities of the Barcelona City Council, Ignasi Labastida, Delegate of the Rector in Open Science of the University of Barcelona, moderated by Sergio Martínez, Secretariat for Economic Affairs and European Funds of the Department of Economy and Finance of the Generalitat de Catalunya.

Some of the key points that were discussed in this round table were: the need to establish a return to citizenship, have platforms or agents that act as a link between the different actors involved, the need to create spaces for innovation around the territory and generate a relationship of trust between the agents involved in citizen science projects.

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Results and impact of the TRANSFORM citizen science pilot in the new selective waste collection system in Mollet del Vallés

Lucia Princikova — Mon, 28 Nov 2022 12:44:12 +0000

Citizens have a key role in political decision-making and the TRANSFORM pilot project is a clear example of this. Yesterday, the Catalan cluster that has led this citizen science pilot project, presented the results and conclusions to members of the Mollet del Vallés council, to contribute to the improvement of the municipal selective waste collection system.

The TRANSFORM project brings together three European regions (Lombardy, Brussels capital and Catalonia) to experiment with different innovative participatory methodologies. Specifically, in Catalonia a citizen science pilot has been carried out in the city of Mollet del Vallès to contribute to improving the selective collection of municipal waste. The Catalan cluster has used citizen science as an instrument to move towards a greener, more digital, resilient and fairer socioeconomic model.

For this pilot project, “Dilemma R“, a digital game on waste was co-designed as a tool to inform citizens about innovative selective collection systems (smart containers and door-to-door waste collection) and, in turn, gather their preferences and barriers when implementing them. In the design process, a participatory model has been followed, based on co-design methodologies, involving the maximum number of actors involved.

This process was carried out through a total of four sessions in which different profiles of citizens of Mollet, different departments of the city council and the students of the Degree in Management of Smart and Sustainable Cities of the UAB participated. Later, the digital development of the game proceeded.

Once “Dilemma R” had been created, 60 students from four educational centres in Mollet (Institut Vicenç Plantada, Escola Sant Gervasi, Center d’Estudis Mollet and Escola Anselm Clavé) put it into practice with their families and with citizens at street level to collect enough information to process and analyse it.

Through this app, it has been possible to collect evaluations, preferences and barriers of citizens regarding innovative selective collection systems. In addition, this tool has also had a double impact: on the one hand, it has increased public awareness of these innovative waste collection systems, and on the other, it has contributed to generating active awareness of the environmental impact of waste, contributing to co-responsibility.

With the “Dilemma R” game, 402 valid responses from the citizens of Mollet have been collected; The results make it possible to identify trends that serve as a guide for the city council in making decisions on how to implement a new waste collection system.

As a result of these answers, a results report has been prepared that has included the recommendations made both by the professional research team and by the Mollet students themselves. 10 conclusions stand out:

Degree of knowledge of citizens about the waste collection system

Knowledge about innovative systems is low and knowledge about the current selective collection system does not reach 50%.
The vast majority of people who have declared they have no prior knowledge on the subject, have acquired it through Dilemma R.

General preference of citizens for smart containers or for the door-to-door system

The vast majority of people surveyed have opted for smart containers.
As an exception, in the Santa Rosa neighbourhood, the preference for door-to-door delivery and smart containers is very similar.

Relevance that different variables may have as barriers or facilitators of the adoption of the new systems by citizens

Most of the people surveyed are sensitive to the environmental issue and in favour of receiving economic incentives for the use of new systems, despite the fact that this implies limitations to their privacy (that the city council has more information about the recycling practices of each person) or practicality (for example, time or calendar limitations when disposing of rubbish).
Economic incentives seem to have a greater potential as facilitators of the adoption of the new systems than the environmental benefit, except when faced with the possibility that the new systems generate more dirt on the street.
There is a similar number of people who choose to receive economic incentives at the individual level and at the collective or community level
Privacy limitations have not emerged as a very relevant aspect when opposed to environmental benefits, much less when opposed to economic incentives.
There are two aspects of practicality that deserve attention as possible barriers to implementation: 1) the time and calendar limitation associated with the door-to-door system; 2) the possibility that the new systems will generate more dirt on the street.
For people aged 65 or over, the complexity of using a card or a mobile phone to activate the containers appears as a more relevant barrier than having to adapt to a schedule or a calendar.

Impact on public policies of Mollet

As a result of these conclusions, the Mollet students and the professional research team involved in the project have drawn up a series of recommendations associated with the conclusions of the study. These recommendations range from the development of information and environmental education campaigns, to proposals for the implementation of economic incentives to increase the separation of waste, through the design of specific actions to support the elderly in the use of the new systems.

“Participating in this TRANSFORM pilot project has been very important for two reasons: first, to be able to know the opinion of our citizens. We want to make changes to our waste management model, and we need to know what they think and what they know. Second, through citizen participation we have been able to learn about proposals raised directly by citizens, and we want to study them because they are realistic and interesting. Thanks to all this participatory process, we have been able to know what citizens want, fear or do not see clearly, in order to make better decisions at the public policy level.”

Raúl Broto, First Deputy Mayor of Mollet del Vallès

As proof that citizen science can have an impact on public policies, on June 28 the Mollet del Vallés city council approved the new contract for cleaning public space and waste collection for the next 5 years. The objective of this new contract is to intensify street cleaning and increase the selective collection of the municipality to 60% in 2030, complying with European regulations.

Some of the proposals from the pilot that have been evaluated and incorporated into the new contract for the city’s waste collection service are, for example, implementation of smart containers in some neighbourhoods of the city or the need to use additional resources to avoid littering the street due to uncivil practices.

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Citizens’ voice in R&I policymaking in Lombardy. The final event of the EU H2020 TRANSFORM project on 17 November

Lucia Princikova — Mon, 14 Nov 2022 12:47:21 +0000

Photo by Ouael Ben Salah on Unsplash.

17 November 2022

Sala Pirelli – Palazzo Pirelli, Via Fabio Filzi, 22 Milano, Italy

On 17 November 2022, Fondazione Giannino Bassetti, Region Lombardy and Finlombarda will host their final regional event to showcase the outcomes of the Lombardy regional cluster of the TRANSFORM project. The meeting will be an opportunity to present TRANSFORM’s journey in Lombardy and its contribution to regional Research and Innovation policies, but also to talk more broadly about the role of citizens in policy making on issues such as data-driven innovation and the fair energy transition for all.

Do you want to know more? Do not hesitate to register.

ABOUT THE EVENT

The event will then focus on TRANSFORM activities in Lombardy and the issues addressed in the citizen engagement journey. In addition to in-person participation, the meeting will be broadcast online on the Open Innovation website.

Opening session

Welcome by Fabrizio Sala, Vice-President and Councilor for Education, University, Research, Innovation and Simplification of Lombardy Region
Introduction to the day’s theme by Piero Bassetti, president of Fondazione Giannino Bassetti
Overview of the TRANSFORM project by Angela Simone, TRANSFORM coordinator, Fondazione Giannino Bassetti
Region’s perspective on the importance of integrating the voices of citizens in regional research and innovation policies by Elisabetta Confalonieri, Directorate General for Education, Universities, Research, Innovation and Simplification

Participatory research agenda setting

Defining the regional strategic research and innovation agenda in a participatory way: the first set of participatory activities focused on the theme of the just energy transition by Anna Pellizzone, project manager, Fondazione Giannino Bassetti
How to integrate citizens’ ideas and needs into regional strategies: Lombardy’s Three-Year Strategic Program for Research, Innovation and Technology Transfer by Silvia Corbetta, Finlombarda
Key note speech: “Just Ecological Transition for All. The role of citizens and society” by Enrico Giovannini, Professor at the University of Rome “Tor Vergata”

TRANSFORM Citizen Jury

Results of the TRANSFORM Citizens Jury dedicated to responsible smart mobility by Anna Pellizzone, Fondazione Giannino Bassetti
Integration of citizens’ recommendations into smart mobility policies in the Lombardy Region by Matteo Pozzetti, Directorate General for Education, Universities, Research, Innovation and Simplification, Lombardy Region
Key note: Role that citizens can play – reflection on accountability issues related to data-driven services, including aspects of privacy and data protection (some of the elements considered most important by TRANSFORM’s Citizens’ Jury participants) by Guido Scorza, a member of the Garante per la Protezione dei Dati Personali

Discussion and closing remarks

TRANSFORM results and citizen participation in Research and Innovation decision-making by Agnes Allansdottir, University of Siena, a scholar of the relationship between science and society and an expert in methodologies for consulting citizens and monitoring public opinion on the impact of technologies and technosciences, chosen by the Region as one of the ten components of the Regional Forum for Innovation and Scientific Research 2018-2021
Closing remarks by Angela Simone, TRANSFORM coordinator, Fondazione Giannino Bassetti

Learn more about the Lombardy cluster here.

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Data-driven Smart Mobility: citizens’ opinions for a responsible approach

Lucia Princikova — Tue, 08 Nov 2022 12:31:32 +0000

Photo by REVOLT on Unsplash

Privacy and accessibility among priority issues according to TRANSFORM’s Citizens’ Jury.

On Saturday, June 25, EU-funded project TRANSFORM concluded the participatory process to collect recommendations from citizens living in Lombardy on the topic of smart and responsible mobility.

The Citizens’ Jury, composed of a total of 24 people, took place over two days. At the end of the second day, participants were able to present their suggestions on data-driven Smart Mobility, delivering the final recommendations directly to representatives of the Lombardy Region.

The Jury, organised by Bassetti Foundation, which is also coordinating the entire TRANSFORM project, opened with an information phase with experts, which took place on June 11, and allowed citizens to gain more knowledge about both technological aspects and ethical and social issues that can arise when it comes to data-driven mobility services. Two weeks later, the Jurors met again and were invited to think collaboratively about issues related to responsible mobility and, from these, to develop concrete recommendations for regional decision makers.

The discussion phase on responsibility aspects related to Smart Mobility took place in small groups and plenary sessions, accompanied by professional facilitators. The results of the discussion among the groups of participants identified six main issues: privacy, profiling (automated collection and processing of personal data), territorial inclusivity and inclusivity for disadvantaged groups, affordability and digital accessibility, accessibility to information about the existence and operation of services, and security, also understood as cybersecurity.

From the considerations that emerged, the second part of the meeting served to elaborate and refine the recommendations, defining their “objectives” and “measures” to be put into practice.

The final recommendations were unanimously approved by the Jurors, who at the end of the process showed great satisfaction with their involvement in the deliberative process, stating that they appreciated the opportunity to express their voice and feel active as citizens, in an area that directly affects them such as land use planning and related services.

The recommendations were taken on board by the Lombardy Region, which will take them into account in the planning and implementation of its actions within the regional Smart Mobility programs.

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TRANSFORM CATALONIA REGIONAL CLUSTER IS HOSTING ITS FINAL REGIONAL EVENT ON 21 NOVEMBER 2022

Lucia Princikova — Mon, 07 Nov 2022 15:05:01 +0000

Photo by Aleksandar Pasaric from Pexels.

21 November 2022

Palau Robert, passeig de Gràcia, 107, 08008 Barcelona, Spain

On 21st November 2022, the General Directorate for Economic Promotion, Competition and Regulation (GDEPCR) of the Regional Catalan Government (Generalitat de Catalunya), Science for Change and the research group OpenSystems of the University of Barcelona will host their final regional event to showcase the outcomes of the Catalonia regional cluster of the TRANSFORM project. This will be an opportunity to raise awareness of the transformative potential of citizen science, to share successful examples of how this methodology has improved public policy, and to present in more depth the two pilots implemented during the project: the first to increase the selective collection of municipal waste and the second to improve endometriosis care, diagnosis and support services.

Do you want to know more? Do not hesitate to register.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

The TRANSFORM Catalan Cluster aims to help governments and agents involved in the Catalan R&I ecosystem incorporate citizen science methodologies in their strategies, policies and projects. For this purpose, two main activities have been developed: the creation of a Catalan Think Tank and the implementation of pilot projects in citizen science:

Waste pilot: In Mollet del Vallès, quadruple helix stakeholders – private sectors, academia, citizens and public administrations have been working together to improve the selective waste collection system, collecting preferences and opinions from citizens through an interactive waste game.
Health pilot: With the Gynecology Area of the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau and the Agency for Health Quality and Assessment of Catalonia (AQuAS) health professionals and patients with endometriosis have carried out participatory research to delve into their personal experiences with the disease, identify needs, assess services and resources for the diagnosis, care and support for patients with endometriosis and engage in the co-creation process of recommendation for better health care services and policy.

Moreover, the Catalan Think Tank brought together 55 representatives of the quadruple helix of the Catalan R&I ecosystem (regional and local public administration, universities, research centres and companies). Together these organisations learn, reflect and propose how citizen science can be a good tool to improve public policies and tackle the current social and environmental challenges.

The Catalan cluster is working towards incorporating citizen science as a means of integrating RRI into Catalonia’s RIS3CAT 2021-2027, its instruments and the actors of the Catalan R&I ecosystem.

The RIS3CAT 2030, makes an appeal for comparative agendas and transformative and responsible research and innovation as the main motors for orienting Catalonia towards a greener, digital, resilient and fairer socio-economic model.

Learn more about the Catalonia cluster here.

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TRANSFORM BRUSSELS-CAPITAL REGIONAL CLUSTER IS HOSTING ITS FINAL REGIONAL EVENT ON 10 NOVEMBER 2022

Lucia Princikova — Fri, 04 Nov 2022 15:44:35 +0000

10 November 2022

Chau. de Charleroi 112, 1060 Brussels, Belgium

Three years of TRANSFORM project implementation, the Brussels-Capital regional cluster will present the results, lessons learned and added value of the citizen and stakeholder engagement activities tested within three pilots in circular economy. On this occasion, participants will discover how Innoviris, the Université Catholique de Louvain – UCL and Be Participation, were able to test citizen participation tools at different stages of an innovation (policy) in within public administration.

Do you want to know more? Do not hesitate to register.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

The Brussels-Capital Region cluster worked with three pilots within circular economy, in a wide sense, by indentifying specific community needs and challenges to address while paying attention to sustainability and inclusiveness of the whole participatory process.

The cluster experimented with two approaches:

On the one hand, the cluster has put forward a 360° vision through citizen participation by having applied a methodology of early detection of the ecological and social effects of a food innovation through an academic research project.
On the other hand, participatory ecosystem mapping process was set up to understand the tensions between the social effects and environmental impacts of a regional actor operating around food waste recovery. Among other things, this enabled the identification of knowledge needs within this ecosystem.

The incentive role of the public authorities in the innovation activities for regional economic growth is very important in Brussels. Aligned with its societal challenges, the region has established Strategics Innovation Domains (SID) in the Regional Innovation Plan (PRI) for funding Research and Innovation, developed by Innoviris.

“Optimal use of resources” and “Social innovation, public innovation and social inclusion” are SID to which TRANSFORM activities organised in Brussels are strongly linked.

RRI dimensions are present in existing R&I initiatives of the Brussels region such as co-creation, a programme that supports the exploration, experimentation and production of co-created knowledge for urban resilience.

More information about the Regional Innovation Plan 2021-2027 here.

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A participatory research on endometriosis results in six recommendations to inform public policies in Catalonia

Lucia Princikova — Thu, 03 Nov 2022 10:36:54 +0000

Endometriosis affects 10% of girls, women (and sex-gender diversities) of reproductive age worldwide. Its diagnosis takes between 8 and 10 years from the onset of symptoms, a time during which these people suffer serious physical, psychological, social and professional consequences.

Participatory research on endometriosis has resulted in the co-creation of 6 general and 28 specific recommendations, written in the first person by patients, with the aim of informing public health policies and contributing to improving the clinical approach and care services to patients.

Through citizen science, Science for Change has led this pilot project in collaboration with the Gynecology Area of the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, the Agency for Health Quality and Assessment of Catalonia (AQuAS), the Economic Strategy Area of the Generalitat de Catalunya and the OpenSystems research group of the University of Barcelona.

“Endometriosis in the first person: participatory research on experiences and recommendations of women with endometriosis for the improvement of health services“ is an innovative pilot that applies citizen science in women’s health within the framework of the European Project H2020 TRANSFORM. This pilot has involved women with endometriosis to deepen their experiences of the disease and their experiences regarding health services.

In the research, 20 women diagnosed with endometriosis participated as co-investigators, having an active role in the data collection phases, in the formulation of recommendations and in the dissemination of the results.

Marta Fonseca has been suffering of endometriosis for 18 years. She has undergone four surgeries and has participated in the pilot.

“The fact of being in this group does not cure, but it helps a lot to share this experience and contribute to these recommendations. Yes, it is a complex disease, but if there are so many women who suffer from it, more attention must be paid to the various areas that endometriosis involves. Endometriosis exists and we must have better ways to deal with it with more informed professionals and resources dedicated to research.”

With the results of the research, a policy brief has been written for policymakers and health personnel, presenting the recommendations co-created by women for the improvement of health services. The policy brief was presented on the 19^th October at an event at the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau that was attended by the women participating in the research and Gynecology professionals from the Hospital.

“The pilot and the policy brief aim to give voice and raise awareness about how endometriosis is experienced and its effects on people’s global health, as well as present recommendations to improve diagnostic and health care services.”

Diana Reinoso, Project Manager at Science for Change

The six general recommendations contained in the policy brief are:

Increase awareness of endometriosis at the healthcare level
Develop strategies for an early diagnosis of endometriosis
Improve the process of conveying information to patients to increase self-awareness and contribute to shared decision-making
Define and implement a comprehensive endometriosis management model
Improve care for people with endometriosis in healthcare services
Develop more personalised and patient-informed treatment models

The ultimate goal of the policy brief is to influence public health policies at regional and local level, and specifically, to influence the Endometriosis Care Model of Catalonia, in addition to the new model of innovative approach to the disease in the Hospital of Santa Creu i Sant Pau.

Dr. Ramon Rovira, surgical coordinator of the Gynecology and Obstetrics Service of the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau – IIB Sant Pau, in Barcelona, comments that “with the TRANSFORM project we have really put the patient at the center. It has been an opportunity, as a professional, to know first-hand what patients need and a possibility of radical improvement to face changes in the therapeutic approach to this pathology at all levels”. In addition, he adds that the results of this initiative are “a clear example for new projects in different areas of health that allow a paradigmatic change in what patient care entails, in general. Knowing what the patient needs is one of the obligations of the medical care of the future”.

According to Nora Salas Seoane, Head of the Health Area of Science for Change, this pilot project is a clear example of how we can use citizen science, participatory strategies and co-creation in health to incorporate the patient’s experience and transform together with them certain health practices and their healthcare services.

“We are helping to understand women’s health from their perspective and their feelings, taking into account gender barriers in health. This pilot demonstrates that the patient experience is key and necessary to improve care services and influence the planning of health policies.”

Nora Salas Seoane, Head of the Health Area of Science for Change

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Endometriosis in First Person: the pilot of the European project TRANSFORM recognised as one of the five best projects of the XPatient Barcelona Congress

Lucia Princikova — Wed, 05 Oct 2022 10:07:23 +0000

Photo: XPatient Barcelona Congress.

28 – 29 September 2022

Online

The seventh edition of the “XPatient Barcelona” congress took place on September 28-29 and the TRANSFORM project was one of the protagonists of the congress. The pilot project “Endometriosis in first person: participatory research on experiences and assessments of women with endometriosis for the improvement of health services” was selected as one of the five most outstanding and complete experiences presented at the congress.

TRANSFORM at the XPatient Barcelona

The TRANSFORM project (funded under H2020) brings together three European regions (Lombardy, Brussels-Capital and Catalonia) to experiment with different innovative participatory methodologies to make the regional research and development and innovation policies more accountable. In Catalonia, a citizen science pilot on endometriosis has been carried out with the aim of involving people suffering from endometriosis to better understand their experiences at a biopsychosocial level as well as with health services. The patients then co-create recommendations for the improvement of health services and influence health policies.

“Endometriosis in the first person: participatory research on experiences and assessments of women with endometriosis for the improvement of health services” pilot aims to improve diagnostic care services and health care for endometriosis. The pilot is developed in collaboration with the Hospital de Sant Pau and the Agency for Health Quality and Evaluation of Catalonia (AQuAS), as well as with the Economic Promotion area of the Generalitat de Catalunya and the OpenSystems research group, the latter two, partners of the TRANSFORM Catalan Cluster, led by Science for Change.

Within this pilot, a group of women, who actively participated as co-investigators, was created to delve into the experiences of endometriosis. During the participatory sessions, they identified needs, made an assessment of the services and resources for diagnosis, care and support for people suffering from endometriosis and drafted recommendations for their improvement.

On Thursday, September 29, Nora Salas Seoane, Head of the Health Area of Science for Change., presented the work carried out within the framework of the TRANSFORM project on “Participatory and co-creation methodologies, involving first-person experiences to improve care services and inform public policies: the case of endometriosis as an underdiagnosed disorder that affects women’s health“ during the session “Experiences and debate: the response in times of crisis“, moderated by Patricia Ripoll, patient, health communicator and patient experience expert. Representatives from the Bellvitge University Hospital, the Terrassa Health Consortium, the Sant Joan de Déu Research Institute, the Guttman Institute and Athenea solutions also participated in this session.

About the “XPatient Barcelona Congress”

The XPatient Barcelona Congress is an appointment with the main actors of the health ecosystem to share innovation, technology and evidence in improving the Patient Experience, of the caregivers / or people in charge and of the professionals in this field. It is an opportunity to discuss and advance, together with all the agents involved, a common and better-informed vision of improving our health systems and the benefits for patients. The engine of this change must be the detection of unmet needs and the proposal of care packages to respond to these needs, depending on local availability.

More information about the congress and registration here.

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