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. 2020 Apr;26(2):667-689.
doi: 10.1007/s11948-019-00114-2. Epub 2019 Jun 13.

AMICAI: A Method Based on Risk Analysis to Integrate Responsible Research and Innovation into the Work of Research and Innovation Practitioners

Christopher Brandl  1 , Matthias Wille  2 , Jochen Nelles  2 , Peter Rasche  2 , Katharina Schäfer  2 , Frank O Flemisch  2 , Martin Frenz  2 , Verena Nitsch  2 , Alexander Mertens  2
Affiliations

AMICAI: A Method Based on Risk Analysis to Integrate Responsible Research and Innovation into the Work of Research and Innovation Practitioners

Christopher Brandl et al. Sci Eng Ethics. 2020 Apr.

Abstract

The integration of ethics into the day-to-day work of research and innovation (R&I) is an important but difficult challenge. However, with the Aachen method for identification, classification and risk analysis of innovation-based problems (AMICAI) an approach from an engineering perspective is presented that enables the integration of ethical, legal and social implications into the day-to-day work of R&I practitioners. AMICAI appears in particular capable of providing a procedural guidance for R&I practitioners based on a method established in engineering science, breaking down the object of consideration into partial aspects and prioritizing the innovation-based problems in dependence of potential risk. This enables the user to apply AMICAI continuously during all stages of the research and development (R&D) process and to analyze and choose between certain sociotechnical alternatives. In this way, problems that affect ethical, legal, and social aspects can be understood, reflected and considered in the mostly technically focused R&D process. The paper gives a general guidance about AMICAI by describing principles and assumptions, providing the steps of analysis and application aids, giving an example application, explaining the necessary adjustments of AMICAI compared to the methodical basis of failure mode, effects, and criticality analysis and discussing the advantages and limits. AMICAI's simple applications can stimulate interdisciplinary cooperation in the R&D process and be a starting point for the development of an "open RRI risk analysis platform" allowing society to evaluate innovation-based problems.

Keywords: ELSA; ELSI; RRI; Risk analysis; Technology assessment.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Phases of the application of AMICAI
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Quantification scales of severity, probability of occurrence, and detectability
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Innovation sketch for example application of AMICAI
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Excerpt of three problems analyzed within the example application of AMICAI
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Process diagram for one cycle of application of AMICAI
Fig. 6
Fig. 6
Form sheet for documentation of the results of AMICAI
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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