Paper long abstract:

With respect to the increasing role of science and technology to address societal challenges, synthetic biology has been argued to promise as well considerable benefits as challenges. In this respect, assessments are able to moderate processes following particular normative principles, objectives and outcomes - also labelled as responsible research and innovation (RRI). This research aims to understand how responsibilities are framed, defined and allocated within national strategic approaches influencing research and innovation activities in synthetic biology. Focussing on the UK synthetic biology roadmap, we investigate how normative claims have been shaped and legitimised. In this review, we take into account contextual factors and motivations that influenced the initialisation of this roadmap, as well as how potential contestation - both with regard to involved and excluded actors - has been managed. Preliminary results indicate that the UK synthetic biology roadmap assumes a necessity to promote synthetic biology - compared to alternative approaches based on pre-cautionary principles - as a means to combat social and environmental challenges. However, the socio-scientific dimension of synthetic biology - which includes management of uncertainty, investigation of ethical boundaries and legitimisation of societal aspiration setting - seems underrepresented. In addition, instead of stipulating specific conditions and procedures to incorporate responsibility applicable to real-world conditions, the roadmap seems to implicitly transfer the burden of RRI on synthetic biology researchers and potential future producers. Even though the roadmap recognises its limited actor engagement - and therefore affected representability - it remains unclear how appropriate the roadmap's taken approach is in inducing democratic responsibilisation of innovation processes.