Objectives

The overall aim of RESPONDER is to promote sustainable consumption by exploring novel ways of knowledge brokerage that help to improve the management of potential political, social and economic contradictions with economic growth.  RESPONDER will not conduct new research in this area, but exploit existing research by new integrative modalities of linking research results to policy-making.

The innovative potential of RESPONDER lies in the methodology for knowledge brokerage, its professional application in different policy areas and the systematic assessment of the experiences gained during the course of the project. This first area of objectives represents the scientific angle of RESPONDER aiming at innovation and progress beyond the state of the art of knowledge brokerage and comprises the following operational objectives:

• set a clear focus and gain a unique position towards existing initiatives;
• start on the basis of a sound and appropriate methodology;
• develop innovative demand-oriented tools for knowledge brokerage;
• implement and test the knowledge brokerage system to gain experiences;
• secure a high quality of results and continuous improvement;
• support the transfer to other policy areas;
• achieve significant impact in science.

RESPONDER is not just a concept or a prototype but designed to set up a fully-fledged knowledge brokerage system in a complex policy area. In doing so RESPONDER will have several impacts on the communities involved that can be summarised under the impact angle of RESPONDER aiming at networking and improving the application of research findings in policy making comprising the following operational objectives:

• secure the participation of the relevant policy makers and researchers;
• promote mutual understanding and reflexive learning;
• stimulate continuous interaction;
• nurture personal relationships and trust;
• support networking and community building;
• establish a self-sustaining process;
• promote the establishment of a community of experts in knowledge brokerage.

© 2024 Institute for Managing Sustainability
Vienna University of Economics and Business, Welthandelsplatz 1, A-1020 Vienna