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Short abstract:

The normative ambition and scope for opening up the dynamics of science and innovation are uncertain and less evident in Open Science narratives than in previous ones (e.g., RRI). The paper advocates for a more explicit and radical notion of "openness" concerning science, technology, and innovation.

Long abstract:

Initiatives and discussions surrounding responsible research and innovation are increasingly integral to EU research and development (R&D) policies. For example, the Responsible Research and Innovation principle (RRI) was a cornerstone in the European Commission's Framework Program "Horizon 2020". This principle, particularly in its more radical interpretations, construed responsibility primarily in political terms. Promoting more responsible research and innovation under the rubric of RRI implied fostering governance dynamics aligned with society's diverse expectations, values, and interests. Responsibility, in essence, was framed as the conscientious stewardship of the futures being shaped by science and technology in the present.

However, RRI and similar normative frameworks have encountered significant constraints that have led to their instrumentalization or limitation of disruptive or transformative potential, often in favor of predetermined socio-economic preferences. Moreover, the influence of RRI within R&D policies is diminishing, being supplanted by alternative initiatives and normative frameworks. Despite calls to maintain RRI as a central tenet, the European Commission's science policy is moving towards the era of Open Science.

But what is the normative significance of this new principle of Open Science? This paper aims to shed light on the disruptive potential of transformative Open Science policies and practices. It argues that the normative ambition and scope for opening up the dynamics of science and innovation are uncertain and less evident in Open Science narratives than in previous ones. Against this background, the paper advocates for a more explicit and radical notion of "openness" in relation to science, technology, and innovation dynamics.