Research and innovation: A critical approach to claimed ethics and responsibility

Two key drivers of our society, scientific research and commercial innovation, are affected by new forms of ethical demands. One of the key elements of this demand is the massive public awareness of the limits of our fragile biosphere. The literature suggests moving towards more ethical research and more responsible innovation. This raises major theoretical and practical problems, as these two fields have historically been built independently of traditional morality. As a result, they are not very receptive to philosophical imperatives. There remains an asymmetry between the two in terms of the ability to reincorporate ethics. Responsible innovation seems more difficult to achieve than responsible and participatory research. As far as innovation is concerned, we conclude that the solution lies more in a general cultural change than in legal, administrative or incentive measures.
JEL codes: B41, B52, O31, O33