Abstract
Societal impact is becoming an increasingly important dimension of research, innovation, and competitive grant applications, particularly within European research programmes. This talk will explore how researchers can integrate societal impact considerations directly into their research activities and funding proposals. Participants will learn how to identify and assess the potential societal implications of their research, develop convincing impact pathways, and effectively communicate research outcomes to both academic and broader societal audiences. Particular attention will be given to DeepTech, responsible innovation, and sustainable innovation, where technological developments can generate significant social, environmental, and economic consequences. The session will also provide practical perspectives on how societal impact and stakeholder engagement can strengthen research projects and future Horizon Europe proposals. It should be of particular interest to researchers and doctoral candidates interested in developing future European projects and interdisciplinary collaborations.

Speaker – Dr. Yash Chawla, Ph.D.
Dr. Yash Chawla is the Founder and CEO of SustematiQ, a startup focusing on stakeholder intelligence, and the Founder and Head of CRAFT Lab (Collaboratory for Responsible and Future Technologies) at Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Poland. He is also an Assistant Professor of Innovation & Marketing in the Department of Computational Social Science and an Assistant Editor of Operations Research and Decisions at the Faculty of Management, Wrocław University of Science and Technology. His research, teaching, and consulting activities focus on the societal impact of DeepTech and sustainable innovation. He has received several recognitions, including the Scholarship of the Polish Minister of Science and Higher Education for outstanding young scientists and Interstudent 2021, among others. Dr. Chawla leads projects related to the circular economy, including MoSAic, and contributes to large-scale European projects and business consulting initiatives, particularly concerning the societal impact of technologies and innovations and the use of stakeholder consultations in R&D.