What's in it for them?

This working paper presents an empirical case study on public interest and engagement in science and innovation. Interviewing 50 individuals that participated in a design-based participatory foresight project, we identified approaches that can support the interaction between science and society. Laypersons in our study expressed the desires for more open communication on the part of the scientific community. They believed that public participation should take the form of broader and more extensive discussions, not only about proposed developments, but about desirable socio-technological futures. At the same time, they had very clear and specific ideas about the ways in which they wished to be involved. Based on their diverse needs and requirements, we developed a typology presenting different types of laypersons.