Co-creation with Companies: A Means to Enhance Societal Impact of University Researchers?

In this chapter, we explore co-creation as a form of societal interaction of science. We approach co-creation as a goal-oriented form of dynamic interaction aiming at mutual benefit of all parties. As such, we exclude technology transfer and other linear societal interaction forms that follow a closed-model innovation format. We argue that focusing solely on tapping the needs of researchers and ‘pure’ science would lead to ignoring the broader context in which researchers work. An excessive focus on meeting the needs of external stakeholders could jeopardize the preconditions of science. Hence, this chapter explores how researcher-company co-creation can be nurtured in a heavily institutionalized setting, where established rules govern the process of knowledge production and protect research integrity. The co-creation process is analyzed by combining Nonaka’s SECI model and Strober’s interdisciplinary interaction model for knowledge creation. We find that the core of this process lies facilitated dialogue, which is seen as open knowledge sharing between equal participants

Challenges and possibilities of media-based public dialogue:misunderstanding, stereotyping and reflective attitude

Abstract This chapter discusses the problems and possibilities of media-based public dialogue. The educational perspective is on the non-formal and informal citizenship education of adults. The chapter starts by defining the kind of dialogue suitable for pluralist democratic societies as a ‘radical’ dialogue. Then the focus turns towards two central problems that arise from the pluralistic nature of contemporary democratic societies where, nevertheless, we often tend to forget the plurality of our ‘normalities’ in our everyday encounters. These specific problems are stereotyping and misunderstanding. In the end, I propose a self-reflective attitude as a key to successful public dialogue in pluralist democratic societies