Science has development from a self-evident public good to being highly
valued in other contexts for different reasons: strengthening the
economic competitiveness and, especially in high-tech fields, as a
financial investment for future gains. This has been accompanied by a
shift from public to private funding with intellectual property rights
gaining importance. But in contemporary democracies citizens have also
begun to voice their concerns about science and technology related
risks, demanding greater participation in decision-making and in the
setting of research priorities. The book examines the legal issues and
responses vis-à-vis these transformations of the nature of public
science. It discusses their normative content as well as the inherent
limitations of the law in meeting these challenges.