VivAgora

VivAgora is a French non-profit organisation, founded in 2003, that organizes debates on societal issues raised by scientific and technological innovations. By promoting the expression and inclusion of all stakeholders, and exploring the diversity of their views and goals, VivAgora seeks to build trust and promote a new culture of innovation.

In a world where risks and uncertainties are increasing, VivAgora want to make sure that scientific and technological developments benefits the community at large. VivAgora’s goal is to create the conditions of trustful interactions between stakeholders leading to meaningful innovation.

A shared governance of technological innovation

VivAgora has been active in informing, monitoring, and in the making of a collective intelligence. It has adopted a pluralistic, participatory and democratic view of the knowledge and judgement base for policy actions, particularly in the area of nanotechnology and synthetic biology.
For this, VivAgora brings along all stakeholders willing to invent, experience and implement an emerging “technical democracy”.

It organises thematic public debates cycles and seminars, open innovation experiments, focused on environment and health issues, chemistry, biotechnologies, neurosciences, nanotechnologies and convergent technologies...

3 levers for democracy

VivAgora has achieved many mobilizations devoted to

• information : the Alliance on the challenges of nanotechnologies has founded its website on june 2010 available at http://nano.acen-cacen.org/AccueiL
• expertise : the program COEXnano experiments an inclusive process of expertise on nanocoatings (with nanosilver and nanotitanium)
• public debates : VivAgora has initiated series of meetings on nanoissues during 2006 and cooperates for the Nanoforum founded by the Ministry of Health. In 2009, the synthetic biology’ projects have been discussed during a 6 meetings’ cycle. In 2011, VivAgora will develop a new process with scenarii workshops and a Jury event.

Think Tank on Public Engagement

Through its experience in mediation and public debates, and its involvement in nanotechnology and biotechnology issues as well as in many committees, Vivagora has developed an extensive expertise on the analysis and elaboration of engagement processes.

VivAgora’s Club

Vivagora’s Club is open to both public and private professionals involved in scientific and technological innovation, and willing to support VivAgora’s activities. Through its “Opinions sur rue” breakfasts, the Club offers unique opportunities for discussion and brainstorming.
Its members include OREE, GENOPOLE, LVMH…

Vivagora’s website [www.vivagora.org]

VivAgora’s website presents current debates and news (quarterly Vivagoveille), as well as public engagement processes in France and worldwide. Accessible to anyone, it offers a wide variety of in-depth articles, alerts on emerging issues, a calendar of public events, and VivAgora activities.