ABSTRACT
Public engagement (PE) can provide new tools and approaches for the development and renewal of research and innovation (R&I) governance in Europe and beyond. Innovative PE expresses the spirit of both 'tentative governance' and 'dynamic governance', in which solutions are explored through pilots and experimentation rather than by introducing deductively driven or ready-made solutions. The possession of new skills and capacities contributes to a better quality of research as more people are able to mobilise their experience and expertise in collective problem-solving efforts. By better quality the authors mean research that has both academic quality and which in addition to scientific expertise, also mobilises practical skills and societal capacities that are needed to address societal challenges and challenging research issues effectively. Considering the potential of PE, an important critical issue is that compared to the high expectations, PE currently remains too weak to redeem its promises of increased societal relevance and high impact of R&I.
