Discussing mission-oriented science

On 9 September 2019, AWTI and Rathenau Institute organised a debate on the future of mission-oriented science. Since a considerable part of The Netherlands is below sea-level, the country is traditionally strong in water security technologies. To accomplish the mission of keeping dry feet, scientists and engineers from multiple disciplines have developed a tradition of collaboration and dialogue with all stakeholders in society. The need to balance different interests including water management and nature preservation has fostered the development of innovative solutions which can be exported to other countries. The discussion explored possibilities to learn from this best practice for other societal missions including climate resilience, healthcare and defence and security. Some participants stressed that the fight against water is more disaster-driven than mission oriented. Others plead for including curiosity-driven science and connecting research and education. Read more here.