4. Democratising Innovation and the Economy

What are the Issues?

Every technological development is the result of choices. Choices made by governments, researchers, investors, consumers, manufacturers, distributors, users and many others. No technology is god-given or given by the "invisible hand of the market”, and no technology is neutral: it is always value-laden. The way we fund, adopt, use and regulate technology, or not, reflects society’s choice of its values and priorities. However, decisions in research and innovation currently reflect the worldviews and interests of technocratic researchers, policy-makers and above all venture capitalists that want to take research “to the market”, i.e. want to maximise their profits.

To every technological option there are always alternatives – including non-technological forms of change and problem solving. We must establish the necessary democratic instruments and institutions capable of addressing the complexities of inclusive 21st century technologies. How do we define the problems that technologies should solve? How do we govern the risks and ambivalences of technologies? How do we make sure that their benefits are shared amongst the many?

An agenda to democratise technologies must address the fundamental structures that shape and govern technologies. To democratise Europe we need to also transform the societal, political and economic systems that innovate, shape, regulate and make use of technologies. How can these become more democratic and inclusive? How can we democratise the innovation processes that shape decisions about our future?