Social Platforms

1

• Social Platforms
• Societally Motivated Research Platforms SMRPs
• Frida Bergman de Flores Policy and Information
  Officer
• South Sweden European Office, Brussels
• frida.bergman_at_sydsam.be
• Liselotte Rooke RD Manager SydSam, Sweden
• liselotte.rooke_at_skane.se
• 21-09-06

2
Vision Europe to become by 2010 the most dynamic
and competitive knowledge-based economy in the
world ChallengesMember States in EU have major
societal challenges FP 7 2007 2013
3
What are SMRPs?

• SMRPs/Social Platforms are platforms where
  public stakeholders and researchers involve and
  together define research problems and take
  responsibility for the use of the research
  results

4
What makes SMRPs societally innovative?

• Public stakeholders take the initiative and/or
  are strongly involved seeing and defining the
  need of new knowledge together with the
  researchers.
• Public stakeholders/citizens take responsability
  for the research results. What you own and are
  involved in you take responsibility for
• Use of research results is an integrated part of
  the research process and that is taken in to
  consideration from the start.

5
Seven possible criteria for European SMRPs

• Criteria 1
• SMRP should clarify and illustrate that they can
  play an active role in identifying and handling
  major societal challenges for Europe

6

Criteria 2

• SMRPs should clarify and illustrate a strong
  commitment to openness and transparency

7
Criteria 3

• SMRPs involve more than one Member State or
  region and networking is prominent

8
Criteria 4

• SMRPs require long-term relationships,
  contributions and commitment form all
  stakeholders, particularly from public
  stakeholders

9
Criteria 5

• SMRPs promote interdiciplinary research

10
Criteria 6

• SMRPs integrate research utilisation in the
  research process by including citizens and policy
  makers

11
Criteria 7

• SMRPs require a facilitative and collaborative
  leadership. Ensuring the voices from all
  stakeholders are heard

12
To sum up

• 1. Identifying and handling major societal
  challenges
• 2. Openness and transparency
• 3. More than one Member State or region.
  Networking is prominent.
• 4. Long-term contributions and commitment from
  all stakeholders, particular from public
  stakeholders
• 5. Interdisciplinary research
• 6. Integrate research utilisation in the research
  process by including citizens and policy-makers
• 7. Facilitative and collaborative leadership,
  ensuring voices from all stakeholders are heard

13
Societal challanges in Europe

• For example
• Demographic challenges such as
• The ageing population
• Migration and integration
• Youth and their life-situations
• Challenges related to environment and
  sustainability

14
SMRP process

• Regional level in Sweden South Sweden
• National level
• European level

15
European activities

• Positionpaper 2005-12-05
• SMRP -seminar in Brussels February 2006
• Discussion paper2006-06-28
• Letter to European Parliament regarding
  amandments
• Dialogues with European regions, Commission,
  Council.

16
Next steps

• Looking for SMRP-partners in regions and member
  states
• SMRP-seminar in Brussels November 2006

17
Please contact Frida Bergman de Flores Policy
and Information Officer South Sweden European
Office, Brussels 32 2 235 26 61 frida.bergman_at_syd
sam.be or Liselotte Rooke RD Manager SydSam,
Sweden 46 705 157905 liselotte.rooke_at_skane.se Se
e also www.sydsam.se