"Increasing Awareness of Innovation" - New INNOVATION programme Websites on CORDIS

CORDIS, the European Community R&D Information Service, has recently launched a new Web entry point giving access to information on several INNOVATION programme activities aimed at Increasing Awareness of Innovation.

This service provides direct access to redeveloped and expanded information services on three separate activities funded by the INNOVATION programme and its predecessor, VALUE II. The overall aim of these activities is to increase the involvement of those outside the scientific community in the formulation of development options. In doing this, the programme aims to encourage favourable attitudes among the public in advance of technological innovation and change, therefore stimulating the innovation process in Europe. In general, in this field, the INNOVATION programme aims to promote the dissemination of best practices which meet these objectives, paying particular attention to their sustainability and social relevance.

- European Awareness Scenario Workshops (EASW) is a pilot action, launched in 1994, to explore new possible actions and social experiments for the promotion of a social environment favouring innovation in Europe. The pilot phase has focused on the development of the urban environment, and has allowed those pushing for innovation to encourage debate around technological options, raise awareness and involve a wider public in the innovation process. A second generation of EASW projects has now been launched, widening the application to other fields, such as health, transport and mobility, and information technologies.

- Training and Dissemination Schemes Projects (TDSPs) are aimed at identifying best practices and methodologies and applying them, through a process of adaptation and validation, where they can contribute to developing a social environment favourable to innovation by increasing general awareness of science and technology and by promoting the involvement of the public in this process. The projects will validate the application of best practices and methodologies in fields of activity other than those in which they were initially obtained. They also promote efficient mechanisms for cross-border exchange of knowledge (sector to sector, region to region, etc.).

- "Interfaces: Science - Technology - Society" was an action of the VALUE II programme (1992-1994) which encouraged interdisciplinary reflection on basic and applied research. The main areas of interest included:
. Investigating the effective dissemination of research results;
. Assessing and improving communications between the scientific community and research users;
. Using a macroeconomic approach to improve understanding of effectiveness and efficiency of R&D;
. Developing and promoting best practice for managing R&D.

The overall aim was to assess the social impact of science support measures and to identify and study the impact of scientific and technological knowledge on society.

The new CORDIS "Increasing Awareness of Innovation" entry point provides links to information on each of these three actions, including reports on projects completed and ongoing, and contact details for further information. It can be found on the Web, at:

http://cordis.europa.eu/awareness/home.html