The Transdisciplinary Lab (TD-Lab) is a 6-month programme of the Berlin University Alliance which provides projects with additional funding and suport to run a participatory project related to their research. The RI-ProT toolkit process, led by Rosalyn Old, with Dagmara Weckowska and Luise Lallinger, recently held its final workshop, and presented the draft of the final toolkit at the TD-Lab final event. At the event the team contributed to panel discussions, reflected on the TD process, and discussed the toolkit with interested visitors to the stand. An overview of the process is provided below.

The toolkit co-design process

The RI‑ProT project, funded by the Berlin University Alliance, links Protein Transitions and Responsible Innovation (RI). Through desk research and workshops, the team developed a framework, ten principles of responsible protein innovation, and a Responsible Innovation Radar to assess possible and probable impacts of protein innovation. Universities worked with partner organizations and companies, who supported the idea of RI but shared that there was a lacked practical guidance for everyday use.

To close this gap, the project planned to design a toolkit by working together with a range of stakeholders in a 6-month design-thinking series of workshops. His method was chosen as a way to bring together a variety of perspectives and expertise from the field, in order to co-design an output which could be of use to the target group. Two in-person and two online workshops were held, following the Double Diamond process (Discover, Define, Develop & Deliver - Link: The Double Diamond - Design Council). Starting by understanding and defining the key needs and barriers that should to be addressed, the process then involved experts in RI to discuss suitable tools and methods, which were then tested and structured in a final workshop with companies.

The aims of the project

1. To exchange knowledge in Design Thinking workshops
2. To co-develop transformation-oriented knowledge
3. To create impulses for new TD projects

The output

The main output is Protein Power:Toolkit for Responsible Innovation. This is a card set designed for everyday use by companies and innovators in the field of alternative proteins. The cards help teams learn about how the concept of RI can be applied to protein transitions and try short RI activities that fit into regular meetings. The set is a physical card game (and a digital printable version), available in German and English, and it contains Principle, Reflection and Action cards. The Principle cards share the 10 Principles of Responsible Protein Innovation, developed from the RI-ProT project. Reflection cards provide thought- and discussion-provoking questions related to the principles. And last but not least, Action cards offer 10-30‑minute taster exercises with links to full methods, in order to get a taste of RI in practice. The backs of the card provide examples and prompts to guide discussion; and users can follow the deck order, focus on one principle, or pick cards at random.

Possible next steps

One hundred physical card sets are printed to be sent to curious protein innovators across Germany and Europe. German-speaking companies are invited to a digital workshop on 03.09.26 (09:00-12:30 CEST) to learn about the toolkit and try out the cards together. The team hopes the cards make it easy and fun to start discussions on responsible innovation and that companies will use them in their own work. Follow‑up with recipients is planned, and participants in the design-thinking process suggested future work linking RI to company R&D, further toolkit use, and personal engagement with RI.

You can register your interest in the (free-of-charge) toolkit and sign up for the German-speaking workshop on this website. Simply follow the link below.