Wageningen Research


Name: Simone van der Burg, PhD.

Position: programme leader and senior researcher in ethics and responsible research and innovation at Wageningen Economic Research Associate Professor, Vice-Rector for External Relations at the University of Lodz

Unit: Wageningen Economic Research, dept. Innovation- and Risk Management and Information Governance, Wageningen University, The Netherlands.

Contact: simone.vanderburg@wur.nl; https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Simone-Van-Der-Burg-2 (publications); https://www.wur.nl/en/research-results/research-institutes/economic-research/research-topics-wecr/digital-innovation-in-agri-food/digital-ethics-and-responsible-digitalisation.htm (practical tools she developed)

Bio: Simone van der Burg is co-founder and associate editor of the Journal of Responsible Innovation. She published about numerous innovation trajectories in the health care domain and in agriculture. The goal of her research is to contribute to the shaping of research and (technological or social) innovation by means of the enhancement of ethical reflection of stakeholders on its anticipated impacts on human (social) life. This approach to ethics contributes to more responsible decision making about innovation by making the values and interests of stakeholders explicit and facilitate their reflection and dialogue.


Name: O.M.C. (Olga) van der Valk, MSc.

Position: Researcher value chains, governance, knowledge and innovation networks

Unit: Wageningen Economic Research, dept. Innovation- and Risk Management and Information Governance, Wageningen University, The Netherlands

Contact: olga.vandervalk@wur.nl; Olga van der Valk – Research output — Research@WUR; https://www.linkedin.com/in/olga-van-der-valk-1143342/

Bio: Olga van der Valk is an anthropologist with extensive experience in applied (action) research. In the 16 years of working for Wageningen University, she has brought together stakeholders from different sectors and countries all over the world, amongst others for product and market development. She has a degree in change management of people versus systems; and experience in national and international projects in the field of value chain development (South-East Asia, East-Africa, Latin-America), spatial planning (coast/sea) and knowledge and innovation networks in agriculture and fisheries. Her interest is in collaboration for innovation that contribute to broader societal issues. She sees the local context, -social cohesion, community resilience-, as elementary for inclusive innovation (glocalization); and is inspired by cultural heritage and historical landscape.