PublicTechnology.net

Scientists, industry and policy makers must engage more effectively with the public about emerging science and technologies, Lord Sainsbury, Minister for Science and Innovation said yesterday.

Science and innovation are of key importance for UK prosperity and create technologies that benefit us all, the Minister said as he outlined the new science and society agenda. But new technologies can have new ethical, safety, wealth and environmental complications, and these regulatory issues need to be considered and debated before the technologies come to the market.

To encourage greater public engagement with these issues Lord Sainsbury announced a new £1.2 million grant scheme to increase public debate by funding projects to facilitate dialogue between scientists and the public. The new grants will favour projects focusing on the critical areas as identified by the government. These are:

– increasingly intelligent computer systems;
– nanotechnology;
– understanding brain processes;
– animals and medical research;
– energy and climate change; and
– trust and security in the use of IT and the internet.

Speaking at the BA Science Festival, Lord Sainsbury said: “New technologies create new exciting opportunities but can also raise concerns and fears. The science and society agenda is about building a series of inclusive debates to explore the ethical, safety, health and environmental implications of emerging technologies. We have the opportunity to harness the potential of new science and technology for the good of all but there is understandable public unease about the rapid introduction of new technologies and their regulation.”