Photo of Cian O'DonovanCian O'Donovan
Associate Tutor (The Sussex Energy Group)

Research

  • My work draws on concepts from the fields of innovation studies, science & technology studies and human geography.
  • Empirically I work on information and communications technologies (example: automation, artificial intelligence) and energy systems (example: wind power) and how these technologies interact with or co-produce society.
  • Theoretically I am interested in how these kinds of technologies may be directed towards, or away from social progress.
  • Three further interests guide this work, first issues of sustainability and how these technologies variously contribute towards causing or mitigating harms.
  • Second, the means by which innovation is practised, by firms, governments, scientists, social movements and lay people.
  • Third, a deep interest in the power and politics in knowledge creation and research methods which are used in innovation practises, and the assessment of those practises.
  • Underlying these research interests is a commitment to addressing issues of power and democracy in science and technology.

Recent conference and workshop presentations include:

  • "Digital fabrication and human capabilities". Cian O’Donovan (SPRU, University of Sussex). At EASST 2018

  • "Digital fabrication and subjective well-being". Cian O’Donovan, Adrian Smith & Ed Steinmuller (SPRU, University of Sussex). At ICTs and Well-being Workshop, Centre for Technology, Innovation and Culture, University of Oslo, Norway. 4-5 September 2017. 

  • "Digital fabrication and subjective well-being". Cian O’Donovan, Adrian Smith & Ed Steinmuller (SPRU, University of Sussex). At 4S 2017, Annual Meeting of the Society for Social Studies of Science, Boston, MA, USA. August 31 2017 

  • "Democratic engagement with and within emerging regulator spaces" EU-SPRI ECC Science, Technology and Innovation Policy: Re-thinking rationales, concepts, applications and impact. Vienna, Austria. 21 – 23 November 2016
  • Association of American Geographers, San Francisco, USA. March 2016
  • Association of American Geographers, Chicago, USA. March. 2015
  • International Sustainability Transitions Conference, Utrecht 2014
  • ETH PhD Summer Academy on sustainability and technology 2014
  • SPRU DPhil Day 2014
  • International Sustainability Transitions Conference, Zurich 2013
  • The UKERC Summer School 2013
  • NTNU Trondeim Winter School 2012
  • SPRU DPhil Day 2012