Sociedad civil y gobernanza de la ciencia y la tecnología en el ámbito autonómico: la Comunidad Autónoma de Madrid

Abstract

Nowadays, the plurality of actors in the design of science and technology policy is a significant subject. Therefore, the promotion of public participation becomes an important challenge for the national and regional administrations. The main contribution of this paper is the analysis and assessment of citizen participation opportunities and difficulties at the regional level, in order to generate science policies better related to social needs. To begin with, we have analysed the relevance of citizen participation in the governance of science and technology. The results of the empirical work carried out in the Autonomous Community of Madrid demonstrate that a growing number of actors consider positively the involvement of "social experts" in the negotiation and design of regional science and technology programs. The need to activate strategies for the interaction between scientists and citizens has also been identified, especially in high-priority areas.