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Case Study

Responsible Innovation in Met4Tech

  • Status: In Progress
  • Commodity(s): All
  • Location: UK
  • Thematic Area: Roadmap for a new technology metals circular economy system

Objectives

Responsible Innovation (RI) is embedded in all themes across the Met4Tech project. Two RI workshops have been conducted so far with the project partners and researchers, and more RI activities are scheduled along the project timeline.

Insights can be applied towards:

  • The National Data Observatory
  • Working together with project partners on new Case Studies
  • The development of the new Technology Metals Circular Economy Roadmap

Researchers

All

Lead by: Frank Boons

Sampriti Mahanty

Gavin Harper

Partners

All

Cornish Lithium drilling rig

Description

Participants including industry partners, researchers, and policymakers have explored how past events and turning points have affected the development and markets for a select number of products containing technology metals at multiple Met4Tech workshops.

The groups reflected on the definition of Responsible Innovation (RI) from Von Schomberg (2013) and the AREA framework (Anticipate / Reflect / Engage / Act) by the EPSRC and discussed how to conduct the Met4Tech project activities responsibly.

This work provided helpful lessons in dynamic circular and sustainable approaches from a ‘learning history’ standpoint and produced obligations for developing a set of RI guidelines for the Met4Tech project.

Some insights that have emerged are:

  • Diversity of supply as an important part of responsible sourcing
  • Recycling is not always virtuous, and the same lessons need to apply to recycling as to initial mining and processing
  • Regulations are also essential in managing behaviours along the supply chain.