Call for Tracks and Sessions

Submission Deadline: 28 November 2025

Questioning the contributions of Science and Innovation to Society

The 2026 Eu-SPRI Annual Conference will be hosted by INGENIO (CSIC-UPV) at the campus of the Universitat Politènica de València. The main conference will take place from 10 to 12 June 2026, with a preceding Early Career Event on 9 June.
The conference theme is Questioning the contributions of Science and Innovation to Society, and we are now welcoming researchers and practitioners to submit proposals for tracks and special (stand-alone) sessions.

Submission Details for Tracks and Special Sessions
We are inviting proposals for Tracks and Special Sessions addressing any of the issues mentioned in the Conference Theme description presented below. Tracks and Special sessions include:

Proposals should not exceed 800 words including the title, organisers’ details, and description of the issue to be addressed. Selected tracks and their descriptions will be included in the Conference Call for Papers. Proposals for Special Sessions should include a description of the proposed format and participants.

Please submit your proposal using the following link by 28 November 2025 at the latest. Please note that this deadline will not be extended. Organisers will be notified of the acceptance of their proposals prior to the opening of the Call for Papers. We expect the call for papers to be issued at the beginning of January 2026.

If you require assistance with the submission of your proposal, please do not hesitate to contact us at euspri2026@conftool.com

Conference Themes
Rapid technological change and the spread of radical innovations have heightened interest in their effects on society. This departs from the dominant view in the 20th century, which considered the results of scientific research and innovation to be, essentially, positive. Any harmful side-effects could be identified, managed, and corrected through targeted policy interventions. This view still permeates how policy goals are often framed: higher R&D investments are considered desirable, and academics and politicians will often decry low levels of R&D investment. Increasing R&D investment remains a core guiding principle for many science and technology strategies.

Yet, some of the effects of the model of economic growth that has developed thanks to the diffusion of science-based new technologies have proved to be problematic. Depletion of natural resources, global warming, pollution, social inequalities, and loss of biodiversity are but some of the deleterious effects that, at some point or another,, have been traced to the massive deployment of new technologies and the new social habits that have accompanied them. Further, scholars have noted that some types of innovation may generate “destructive creation”, benefiting the few at the expense of the many, leading to low quality jobs, and thus creating more problems than it solves.

New or redefined policy goals and normative concerns are emerging. New technologies like Artificial Intelligence have raised concerns over their heavy ecological footprint, the displacement of intellectual and creative work,, systemic societal risks of manipulation and harm, and existential fears rooted in the possibility that they may take over human decisions and thus autonomously shape future societies. Geopolitical and social developments are also posing normative challenges, introducing concerns over sovereignty and resilience, redefining the nature of security and military technologies, and reframing notions of competitiveness and the role of international trade rules and institutions.

Concern about such developments is progressively penetrating the formulation and implementation of Science,, Technology and Innovation (STI) Policies. A set of interrelated policy strategies and objectives, broadly designated as the “normative turn” in STI policy, is triggering profound changes in science and innovation policies and practices.

This Conference will aim to reflect on these changes, describe their nature, analyse their implications, and discuss examples of changing approaches to research and innovation and their outcomes and impacts. Topics that can be addressed include, but are not limited to, the following:

Policy controversies and challenges
o The “impact agenda”, directionality in research policy and its implications for research governance
o New concerns about sovereignty and the emergence of policy framings and objectives like Open Strategic Autonomy (OSA), Technological Sovereignty (TS), etc.
o Systemic policy interventions. How are they designed and implemented, and what challenges do they pose to current policy institutions
o The challenges posed by equity, inclusivity, responsibility and accessibility considerations
o Libertarian critique of science and innovation policies and scepticism about scientific advice
o Regulatory controversies on issues like intellectual property rights, health & safety, technology controls, dual-use regulations, etc.
o The emergence of new policy implementation models modifying established structures and policy processes

Relation between digital innovations and monopoly practices in critical digital infrastructures (e.g., digital platforms, satellite internet, digital twins, data centres, etc.)

The changing roles of STI actors

o Engagement of broader communities in scientific research (citizen science, open science, public-private partnerships) and their implications on scientific priorities, practice, and relevance

o The role of private and third sector organisations in research and innovation
o The changing roles of universities and public research organisations
o Changes in academic and non-academic research careers, including the impact of transformative agendas on academic and non-academic career paths
o The role of algorithmic management in workplace innovation and labour industrial relations
The economic, social, ethical and security implications of new technologies
o Digital sovereignty and cybersecurity, including the challenges posed to critical infrastructures, and the relationship between security and data privacy
o The military use of new technologies and the emergence of new dual-use challenges to the governance of science and technology
o Technological unemployment and the future of work, including the impact of automation and AI on job markets,, and the design of policies to manage workforce transitions and skills development.
o The ethical and security implications of artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and blockchain technologies
o The implications of biotechnological advancements, personalised medicine, and health data management on public health systems and policies
 
New analytical methods and techniques: possibilities and limitations
o The use of AI-based tools
o The analysis of new and evolving actor networks and configurations
o New data sources and indicators: data science and the role of theorising
o Developing quantitative and qualitative techniques for policy analysis, evaluation, and foresight
o Novel methods and indicators to capture political and societal controversies