The European Commission’s Policy Support Facility (PSF) has published the outcome of its Mutual Learning Exercise on Public Engagement. Under the title ‘Bringing research closer to society: key lessons and next steps for Public Engagement in R&I’, the MLE has analysed how research and innovation can better respond to societal needs.
Public engagement (PE) plays a key role in making R&I more inclusive and democratic. To explore best practices and address challenges, eight countries -Belgium, Germany, Ireland, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Slovenia, and Sweden – took part in the Horizon Europe Policy Support Facility’s Mutual Learning Exercise (MLE) on Public Engagement in R&I.
Between January 2024 and April 2025, the MLE focused on four key areas: an overview of public engagement, its successes and challenges, the relationship between public engagement and framework conditions, and its role within the European Research Area (ERA).
The participants produced a set of policy recommendations and best practices, aimed at embedding PE in national strategies, equipping researchers with the necessary skills, and fostering cross-border collaboration.