Advances in research and technology over the past decades have not only improved our overall standard of living, but are also key for sustainable economic growth. Innovation in biotechnology in particular has the potential to truly alter the way we live our lives, but it can also throw up ethical questions and risks. How can we create a culture that is open to new technologies while also ensuring that we minimise risks and address the public’s concerns through a healthy dialogue with all stakeholders?
Past experience has shown a strong link between the success of new applications and public understanding of their benefits and risks. Conflicting views and aims need to be communicated, considered and in the end effectively governed. The British Embassy in Berlin and the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities invite you to attend a panel discussion addressing some of these questions, talking in particular around experiences in dealing with GM and synthetic biology. We will be joined by UK Government Chief Scientific Adviser, Sir Mark Walport, and President of the Society for Risk Analysis, Ortwin Renn. Professor Richard Kitney from Imperial College London will provide insight into the potential applications of synthetic biology.
Panellists
Sir Mark Walport
UK Government Chief Scientific Adviser
Ortwin Renn
Director of the Stuttgart Research Center for Interdisciplinary Risk and Innovation Studies
Stuttgart University
Member of the BBAW
Richard Kitney
Professor of Biomedical Systems Engineering, Imperial College London
Chaired by
Andy Stirling
Professor of Science & Technology Policy, University of Sussex
Registration required by email to wolfs@bbaw.de. Please register by 13 October. Please bring a valid form of ID/ passport with you. Admission from 17.00 due to security check.