Discussion of the relationship between science, innovation and public engagement is not new. Participatory initiatives have taken place across many nations, with the Western European countries especially well-represented. But questions of the ‘why?, when? and how?’ of science in dialogue often go unanswered. Is this a matter of legitimation or extended peer review? Is it a ‘one-off’ testing or a continuous process? And how is dialogue even possible given the complexity of the issues and the multiplicity of the publics?
Drawing upon research and practice over the last two decades, this presentation will raise a series of underlying questions and point to at least some of the likely answers.
