When Justification Theory Meets Responsible Innovation: A Study of Cell-Based Meat

Abstract

The benefits and challenges associated with cell-based meat (CBM) influence actors’ perspectives on the importance of its development and production. We build on Boltanski and Thévenot’s framework to analyse the values that start-ups and investors address to a responsible innovation (RI). In an uncertain and complex context, interactions among actors shape innovative enterprises. Our research question is as follows: In what ways do the justifications employed by start-ups and investors converge (or not) in order to foster investment in the CBM industry? By identifying the prioritised values by start-ups and investors concerning the importance of developing and producing CBM, we demonstrate how two key groups are providing justifications, shifting from conflicting interests and towards the observance of the common good. Twenty-two start-ups were analysed alongside ninety-four investors. The analysed justifications were obtained from start-ups and investors’ official websites and interviews. Moreover, this study aims to provide an interdisciplinary study of a RI phenomenon, insomuch as there is insufficient research on this topic.