Why and how are responsible innovations designed? Findings from a meta-ethnography

While the concept of Responsible Innovation (RI) is gaining traction, there are no syntheses of empirical studies that can inform its development. This paper presents the findings of a meta-ethnography that aimed at developing a model of why and how RIs addressing the determinants of health had been developed. Seventeen qualitative studies published between 2000 and 2018 were analyzed to generate the model. It suggests that RIs are aimed towards the common good, but actors also pursue their own interests through these projects. The development processes of RIs rely upon managerial, cognitive-technological and normative-political activities that enable pragmatic decisions to be made and a legitimate space for these RIs to be created. This study confirms the relevance of several concepts of IR, but also identifies aspects that escape the normative logics that currently prevail in this field. JEL Codes: O31, O350