Following the Fungus

As regular readers might know, I have had an interest in fungus for several years. It all began when I came into contact with Maurizio Montalti and his works.

Montalti uses fungus to make artistic objects that demonstrate possible uses for this material form. He also uses this art to provoke conversation and discussion about how developments in the technology and processes used in his field allows us to replaces oil-based materials with natural ones.

In recent years the field has grown. Montalti and friends now have a production plant in Italy where they grow insulation materials. I say grow, and this is how this industry can be seen. Materials are grown into forms rather than shaped or cast.

Synthetic biology techniques allow the grower to adapt the material, which can then be finished and made into products. The example in the photo above tells the story, some shade from the sun and a circular garden house all panelled with fungus materials.

Take a look at the video linked above and this further discussion on the Bassetti Foundation website for lots more information.

Last month I attended the Floriade Expo and Dutch Design Week (both in the Netherlands) and came across a host of interesting growers and grown products. The environmental advantages of such approaches seem clear: objects can be grown, they are natural and so biodegradable. And also extremely versatile, as different densities and properties make for different uses.

But as pictures can paint a thousand words, I leave you with a gallery.

Acoustic insulation from Montalti’s production facility in Italy
Cycling Helmets
Design Lamp

New Ethos of Science or Institutional Reform of Science? The prospects of institutionalizing the research values Openness, Collaboration and Responsiveness

New Ethos of Science or Institutional Reform of Science? The prospects of institutionalizing the research values Openness, Collaboration and Responsiveness

On 30 November 2022 at 5PM, René von Schomberg will deliver an open lecture as part of the Cultures of Research series of the International Centre for Advanced Studies, Kaete Hamburger Kolleg, RWTH Aachen University. Regular readers will know his work as I have collaborated with him on several projects. You can find a post about his work here, and more about our book here.

Von Schomberg has played an important role in the development of the concept and practices arround Responsible Innovation over the last 20 years through his roles working for the European Commission. He has seen it all we might say, from the first use of the term to its presence throughout the entire funding mechanism.

Openess, collaboration and responsiveness are three of the factors that have been seen as important in a responsible system. Can these things be built into a system? How could this be done? What would an innovation system look like that was based upon these aims? And what might be the advantages?

The lecture will be online with limited physical presence also possible. I will participate from Aachen and write about the event later in the year.

Registration (both online and physical) is required at events@khk.rwth-aachen.de.

Open Scholarship, Responsible Research and Innovation and Anticipatory Governance: Event at Kate Hamburger Kolleg, Cultures of Research-RWTH Aachen University (Germany)

This (online) Open Scholarship event will be held on 29 and 30 June 2022, with registration possible by contacting events@khk.rwth-aachen.de. Regular followers may recall that I edited a book with one of the organizers René von Schomberg and that there is a post about his work here on the website.

The following overview has been made available by the organizers:

29 June and 30 June 2020 Käte Hamburger Kolleg (KHK), Cultures of Research, RWTH Aachen University

First Day

10:00 – 10.15 Welcome address Andoni Ibarra, René von Schomberg, Stefan Böschen.(KHK)

10.15 – 10.30 Intro to the first day: René von Schomberg

10:30 – 11.15 Opening up science: a means for responsibility? Clare Shelley-Egan, Technical University of Denmark (DTU)
11.15 – 11. 30 Discussion

11.30 – 12.15 Missions? Quite Possibly! The legacies of rri and RRI in tackling global and local societal challenges, Douglas Robinson (Université Gustave Eiffel, France and CNRS)
12.15 – 12.30 Discussion followed by lunch

14.00 – 14.45 Interpretive multiplicity in Anticipatory Governance. Evidence from 12 countries, Mario Pansera (Universidade de Vigo)
14.45 – 15:00 Discussion

15.00- 15.45 Quadruple Helix Collaborations, the ethics of stakeholder engagement, and the future of responsible innovation, Vincent Blok (Wageningen University)
15.45- 16.00 Discussion

16.15 – 17:00 Roundtable Discussion: lead question, whether open scholarship can make science more reliable, efficient, responsive, inclusive in the incorporation of a broader range of scientific knowledge producers beyond the academic context and facilitte globally organised mission oriented research.

17:00 – 19.00 Key Note: Transition to Open Science, Why and How, Frank Miedema (Vice Rector for Research at Utrecht University and chair of the Utrecht University Open Science Programme)

Second Day (30 June): Anticipatory Governance

10:00 – 10:15 Andoni Ibarra: Introduction to the second day

10.15 – 11.00 The missing component of anticipatory governance, Roberto Poli (University of Trento)
11.00 – 11.15 Discussion

11.15-12.00 Framing RRI in health research domain: the case of MULTI-ACT participatory and anticipatory governance model, Paola Zaratin (Director of Scientific Research, Italian MS Society – Italian MS Foundation, Genoa, Italy)
12.15 – 12.30 Discussion followed by lunch

14.00 – 14.45 Foresight on additive manufacturing in order to support RRI, Marianne Hoerlesberger, Austrian Institute of Technology
14.45 – 15.00 Discussion

15.00 – 16.00 Round Table on Lead questions:
How do we conceptualize ‘anticipation’ in such a way that it leads to open anticipatory governance? What is the significance of anticipatory governance for Open Science and Responsible Research and Innovation? What are the narratives of open anticipatory governance in different institutional and organizational settings?
How can we assess Anticipatory Governance? How can mission-oriented research be best practiced as part of facilitating anticipatory governance?

16.00 – 16.05 Closing of the Workshop.

I will be there, it looks really interesting.