For several years Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) has been widely discussed, especially in the European context, but also in academic conferences and publications. Numerous EU projects under the FP7 framework, as well as in the Horizon 2020 program, have been conducted, or are currently ongoing.

Despite this significant attention, the focus of RRI was mainly on publicly funded research and the generation of recommendations for policy. There was less attention on practical ways of implementing RRI in companies. Due to the importance of private businesses in undertaking research and in particular innovation, the RRI discourse should cover the role of industry more explicitly. A key question is how RRI relates to other activities that may be of ethical or social relevance, such as corporate social responsibility.

This Special Issue of Sustainability therefore offers a forum for dissemination and discussion of the relationship between RRI and industry. Our definition of industry is broad, including companies of all sizes and industries, including the service sector. We welcome conceptual, empirical or experimental results that are discussed in a national or international context.

Suggested topics for this Special Issue on RRI are (list not exhaustive):