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What Ukrainian citizens think about R&I priorities

In an inspiring effort to bridge the gap between public engagement and facilitation of the R&I development, the citizen visioning workshop “Research I wish for Ukraine” for citizens living in Ukraine was held on May 27, 2025, online. The workshop was designed as a part of LUKE’s efforts to develop the joint R&I grant call that resonate with the needs and hopes for Ukraine.

With over 150 citizens registered, the 13 participants were selected from diverse backgrounds not related to the R&I activities. These participants were invited to share their views on how future R&I funding should be allocated. The event was not just a discussion but a dynamic deliberation where citizens learned about the process leading to a call for proposals and explored eight critical research thematic priorities.

“A great event. I saw that I have like-minded, fellow citizens,” highlighted participant of the workshop.

The citizen visioning workshop is inspired by efforts by the European Union, UNESCO, OECD, and many others, to promote public engagement in R&I processes. By involving citizens who have no prior knowledge of research and innovation, the workshop aimed to democratize the process of shaping research agendas, making it inclusive and reflective of the true needs of society. Methods for Public Engagement (of both citizens and stakeholders) have been developed over the past decades, and although they are not mainstream ingredients in R&I programs, the methods, many of which are presented here, are well developed.

The key insights gathered from this workshop, which are available here will help shape the development of the research priorities of the joint grant call, ensuring that they are not only scientifically robust but also socially desirable and impactful.

“I would like environmental research and innovation to have not only a scientific but also a practical focus. It is very important that the results of research are implemented in real policies and solutions that help reduce the negative impact on the environment,” noted one of the participants during the workshop.

While the participating citizens did see a need to strengthen Ukrainian competition power, their main interest was to see Ukraine rebuilt and its problems – such as handling Internally Displaced Persons and dealing with mental health issues – solved. Solutions to the challenges, they would like to see addressed by research funding, should, however, be developed responsibly and not at the cost, e.g., of protecting the environment, societal security, and privacy.

In general, the participating citizens appreciated the opportunity to discuss priorities for the future development of Ukraine with fellow citizens and had some hope and expectation that their views would be taken into account.

The workshop was designed by Democracy x, Denmark in collaboration with Institute for Economics and Forecasting of the NASU (IEF, Ukraine), DLR Project Management Agency (DLR, Germany) and Centre for Social Innovation (ZSI, Austria). In the coming years, LUKE will offer training on how to make public engagement part of your R&I approach.

Article is prepared by Bjørn Bedsted, International Director, Democracy x, Denmark

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Research Executive Agency (REA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.