Building a Scientific Narrative on Impact and Societal Value of Science (September 2017)

The Symposium ‘Building a Scientific Narrative on Impact and Societal Value of Science’ was the first public initiative of the Science Europe Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC). At the event, hosted in Brussels on 17 November 2016, the topic of research impact was approached from different angles, in order to widen the understanding of the societal value generated by science. The report emphasises that fundamental science and curiosity-driven research are key drivers of change for their intrinsic value and long-term unexpected impact; however, many other aspects are also important, such as challenge oriented research and co-creation of knowledge. Four case studies illustrating the unexpected impact of research on subjects ranging from privacy to nano-encapsulation, that were presented at the Symposium, are also included in this report…