Is RRI a new R&I logic? A reflection from an integrated RRI project.

Abstract

This article presents an analysis of a project in the field of assisted living technologies (ALT) for older adults where Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) is used as an overall approach to the research and technology development work. Taking the project's three literature reviews - conducted in the fields of health science oriented towards occupational therapy, ICT research and development, and RRI - as starting points it applies perspectives from institutional logics to analyse the tension between RRI as an overall research and innovation (R&I) logic versus a disciplinary logic. This tension complicates the implementation of RRI, and we argue for giving this question more visibility. The article concludes that this project, from the funder's side and the project leader's side, was intended to be an example of research and technology development carried out within a new RRI R&I logic, but that it in large parts was conducted as a multidisciplinary project with RRI as a quasi-disciplinary logic in part in parallel with and in part in conflict with other logics in the project.