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Future societal issues in industrial biotechnology
Author(s) -
Schuurbiers Daan,
Osseweijer Patricia,
Kinderlerer Julian
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
biotechnology journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.144
H-Index - 84
eISSN - 1860-7314
pISSN - 1860-6768
DOI - 10.1002/biot.200700089
Subject(s) - operationalization , stakeholder engagement , sustainability , stakeholder , political science , european commission , field (mathematics) , public engagement , public relations , business , microbiology and biotechnology , engineering ethics , european union , engineering , biology , ecology , philosophy , mathematics , epistemology , pure mathematics , economic policy
Abstract Three international stakeholder meetings were organized by the Netherlands‐based “Kluyver Center for Genomics of Industrial Fermentation” with the objective to identify the future societal issues in the field of industrial biotechnology and to develop a coordinated strategy for public dialogue. The meetings resulted in five unanimous recommendations: (i) that science, industry and the European Commission in conjunction with other stakeholders create a comprehensive roadmap towards a bio‐based economy; (ii) that the European Commission initiate a series of round‐table meetings to further articulate the views, interests and responsibilities of the relevant stakeholders and to define policy; (iii) that the development of new innovative communication activities is stimulated to increase public engagement and to discuss the ways that we do or do not want technologies to shape our common future; (iv) that further social studies are undertaken on public attitudes and behaviors to the bio‐based economy and that novel methods are developed to assess public views of future technological developments; and (v) that the concept of sustainability is further operationalized and taken as a core value driving research and development and policy making.