Engage2innovate – Enhancing security solution design, adoption and impact through effective engagement and social innovation (E2i)

Engage2innovate (E2i) will investigate and address barriers to implementing EU security research and innovation outputs, including: poor engagement with end-users, stakeholders and citizens; lack of front-end research and problem framing; and ineffective innovation processes. E2i adopts a human-centred, transdisciplinary approach (as demonstrated in CCI – GA: 787100), recognising innovation as requiring both key elements: novelty and implementation. Social Innovation is a human-centred approach to developing meaningful solutions rooted in a rich understanding of end-user contexts, such that novel ideas (inventions) are actually implemented. Through effective engagement with security policymakers, researchers, and practitioners across the quadruple helix, E2i will champion good practice in Social Innovation and human-centred design. Researchers will demonstrate and deliver the E2i Security R&I Toolbox: (i) enabling adoption of Social Innovation and human-centred design approaches to engage citizens and end users in security R&I; (ii) supporting security R&I actions in framing and designing security solutions and outputs and optimising their acceptance and adoption; (iii) providing benchmarks, standards and quality criteria for security solutions through Responsible Research and Innovation; and thereby (iv) strengthening EU security research and innovation. To promote the engagement of citizens and end users, E2i will develop a Societal Development Plan describing the current landscape of Social Innovation. This will provide guidance on how the approach can strengthen EU security research and innovation, and include an explanatory conceptual model and practical exemplars to inspire and motivate. Finally, E2i will build on the enthusiasm and inspiration of the next generation of researchers and design thinkersthrough two international Social Innovation Design Challenges, showcasing new innovative thinking and solution concepts while fostering adoption of E2i outputs.