Mainstreaming Responsible Innovation is crucial to Build Back Better

October 2020

Topic

Leaders of change will come together virtually for 2 days to make change happen

The 4th edition of the Responsible Innovation Summit aims to facilitate collaboration and knowledge exchange to 'help build back better' from the Covid19 pandemic. This virtual event will take place on 20-21 October where innovators can come together to discuss game-changing trends and learn from each other.

The coronavirus has shown how much we rely on global communities, nature and Innovation. It also revealed the vulnerability of businesses and the global economy. However, this situation offers a unique opportunity to implement new business practices and inspire innovations that lead to a more resilient and sustainable economy.

Responsible Innovation plays a vital role in Covid-recovery

“The world is facing an unprecedented test. And this is the moment of truth.

We must respond decisively, innovatively and together to suppress the spread of the virus and address the socio-economic devastation that COVID-19 is causing in all regions.

Finally, when we get past this crisis – which we will – we will face a choice.

We can go back to the world as it was before or deal decisively with those issues that make us all unnecessarily vulnerable to crises. The recovery from the COVID-19 crisis must lead to a different economy.” said António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations at the launch of the report on socio-economic impacts of coronavirus.

The Responsible Innovation Summit is a 2-days event, which is not only an online conference but a meeting point for innovators to cross-pollinate ideas and facilitate future collaborations.

The event aims to inspire business leaders, policymakers and researchers to find innovative ways that could help to build a more sustainable and just economy.

Expert panel discussions will be featured around four key areas:

Roadmap to Build Back Better
Changing the narrative
Building resilient and sustainable businesses
Making Profit with Purpose the new Buisness as Usual

There will be a particular focus on financing positive change, leadership skills and methods to deliver sustainable growth, and the business case of Responsible Innovation and Circular Economy practices.

“The power to change the world is in the hands of every innovator, but we need to cross-pollinate ideas, raise awareness and act collaboratively to deliver a just transition to a sustainable economy. We want to generate positive change by using the power of communication and empower cross-sectorial knowledge sharing," says Szilvia Szabó, co-founder and organiser of the Responsible Innovation Summit.

Responsible Innovation Summit, 2019, Dublin

“We are definitely going to miss the personal meetings, but the virtual edition presents a great opportunity to be more inclusive, open up the discussions and disseminate the content afterwards on multiple channels”, adds Szabó in regards to running the event online this year due to coronavirus.

The unique lineup of speakers presents an opportunity to hear war stories, learnings and raise questions about defining a new business as usual.

More than fifty speakers from all over the world are coming together to discuss actual topics and share best practices that could help decision-makers to lead the way forward.

“Using research papers and case studies as a starting point, we have identified nine ways in which Responsible Innovation can be beneficial for different stakeholders.

If you are a researcher or a practitioner interested in this field, we invite you to discuss if and how Responsible Innovation increases innovativeness and competitiveness, creates new market opportunities, helps to mitigate risks and avoid losses, trust and corporate image and helps attract the best employees,” says Dr André Martinuzzi, Head of the Institute for Managing Sustainability Vienna University of Economics and Business, who will lead one of the workshops at the summit.

Dublin City Council supports this not-for-profit event which traditionally was held in Dublin, and the core team behind the conference is located in Ireland.

“Dublin is seeking to develop as a hub for Responsible Innovation – we already have a strong Economic and Enterprise eco-system that support Innovation. One of the reasons why we are supporting the Responsible Innovation Summit is that we recognise the need to drive awareness and engagement in creating Innovation that results in economic growth and social good at the same time.

Dublin is a leading Hub for Innovation

We see this event as a great opportunity to connect, engage, learn and commit to further action to advance this agenda for Dublin and those who live and work in our beautiful capital city.” says Mary Mac Sweeney, Deputy Head of Enterprise and Economic Development, Dublin City Council.

She adds that "Raising awareness of what these changes will mean for each individual business is essential. It is clear by now that the European Green Deal introduced in 2019 by the European Commission will play a critical role in the process of recovery. This is Europe’s new agenda for sustainable growth which aims to transform our cities to become cornerstones in building a climate-neutral economy by 2050 in Europe.”

Delegates can join various sessions discussing Responsible Innovation trends, emerging business models making a 'Profit with Purpose' and learn from value-driven enterprises.

Organisers are passionate to make this event educational, inspirational and accessible to all innovators who want to generate a positive impact.

Attendees can book tickets to access all sessions, visit virtual expo booths, join launch events and embrace networking opportunities. Bursary tickets are also available to innovators who could benefit from attending but lack the resources.

This two day offers a chance for innovators to actively get involved in shaping the future by turning major challenges into opportunities.