Innovation as Res Publica: The New Governance of Technoscience and its Politics – Nina Frahm

This lecture is part of the summer semester 2025 lecture series Expanding Science and Technology Studies and the STS Forum organized by the HumTec (Human Technology Center) at RWTH Aachen University.

Abstract:

Imperatives of technoscientific innovation have become a ubiquitous leitmotiv for public policies in the 21st century. Driven by increased public investments in research and development and fueled by hope and hype regarding the benefits of emerging technologies for society, innovation is no longer a mere task of the market but a central concern of democracies in their pursuit of desirable futures. Yet, innovation’s intrinsic uncertainty, its risks and possible harms for people and the planet also present a challenge for public institutions when it comes to legitimizing innovation efforts.

In my research, I follow the turn to innovation as res publica – a public thing – and argue that it is enabled by a shift from ‘hard’ regulatory instruments to tools and frameworks for the ‘soft’ governance of technoscience such as ethics guidelines and principles, public engagement exercises, and co-creation processes. Rather than following technocratic rationales, the new governance of technoscience relies on new forms of reasoning and expertise that grant society, its values and needs a central role in shaping innovation trajectories. As such, it is key for the production of powerful imaginaries of democratic sovereignty vis-à-vis innovation and corollary ideals of socio-technical order. By zooming into the field of AI and emerging neurotechnologies, I examine the situated politics of new governance regimes, and in particular, their critical role in the making of a body politic in the innovation era.

If you would like to attend, please register with: events@khk.rwth-aachen.de.