Assistant Professor Johanna Höffken from Eindhoven University of Technology is infectiously enthusiastic about responsible innovation. It is therefore not surprising that she was recently elected Teacher of the Year 2020. ‘Look at the great challenges of our time. Responsible innovation simply is the most promising route to solutions.’

Young MVI member Johanna Höffken has been interested in the mutual interaction between technology and society since she was a student, says the German-born researcher in an inspiring conversation. ‘After my study International Relations at the University of Dresden, I developed a more normative understanding of the interaction between science and technology during my second study Science, Technology and Society (STS) at Maastricht University. Who has what to say about a new development, and who remains silent? Which design choices are made, based on which assumptions and interests? And what does that mean for the implementation of such an innovation? I find that immensely interesting.’

Her research is about the technological content of innovations and how they turn out in different parts of the world. ‘Who designs an innovation, and what ideas underlie it? What does that mean if you apply such an innovation in a different context? In addition, I have a fascination for the “global south”. Many innovations are designed from a Western attitude. Their implementation may turn out very differently in a different cultural or socio-economic context.’

Collaboration with companies

In her research and education, Höffken works closely with companies. She believes it is important that the role of scientists is not reduced to that of implementers of business ideas and agendas. ‘But companies do play an important role in innovations. As a scientist you should not criticize this from the side line. Only by working together with those companies you can truly make responsible innovations possible.’

As an example, Höffken cites her NWO MVI project that focused on the implementation of smart grids in rural India. ‘In that project, we collaborated with Rural Spark, a company that offers solar-based off-grid solutions. We not only looked at what kind of business models they could use, but also how certain design choices influence possible use.’ In India, some 400 million people, especially in rural areas, have no access to electricity. The project focused on a system that allows people to generate electricity at home with solar panels. Subsequently, the energy can be stored locally, or shared with neighbours. ‘We asked questions about the implementation and design of the technology. Does the developer understand the context? In India, for example, there are subsidies on kerosene, which means that installing solar panels is not very popular. And what is the most convenient way to design something like this? Should you opt for a closed design, as Apple does with its iPhones, or is it smarter to offer modules that users can link together?’

Responsible innovation in education

In her popular learning path ‘Responsible Innovation for the World’, the acclaimed teacher also brings her students into contact with companies at an early stage. ‘It matters how you convey the whole idea of ​​responsible innovation to them. You have to connect with the experiences of students. Make it cool. Let them experience how much fun it is to work on solutions that can actually be applied. Let them experience that they matter.’ Central to this is the idea of ​​what Höffken calls ‘reflaction’ – finding a balance between reflecting on the idea, the problem and possible solutions (reflection) and then actually doing something about it (action). ‘Today’s students want to do something good for the world. This motivation is a fruitful breeding ground for planting the seed of responsible innovation. With my learning track I try to train a whole generation of students to not only look at technological aspects, but to also include social, ethical and economic components in their decision-making.’

Not next to, but with each other

Interdisciplinarity is the ideal that Höffken strives for, both in her research and in her teaching. ‘Different disciplines should not work side by side on similar issues, but actually work together on a common issue. To achieve that, you need people who can bring parties together and bridge differences. Within Young MVI I regularly address the question of how an MVI researcher can contribute.’

Höffken uses her own motivation and enthusiasm as effective means of involving various parties in her work. ‘I strongly believe that responsible innovation makes sense. You achieve more impact through collaboration. You cannot solve the big questions of our time by yourself. And I personally think that is a nice picture in these times of individualism.’

 

This article was published as part of the NWO-MVI Platform newsletter. Want to read more? Subscribe to our digital newsletter!