The CIPAST platform strongly takes into account a rich context of recent initiatives, studies and research programmes in the field of participatory processes at both European national and cross-national levels. With the principal instruments of its networking activity such as workshops, training sessions, discussions lists, newsletter and website, CIPAST gives priority to involve the various actors coming from the civil society.
The consortium is filled with European organisations which have significant experiences in the use of participatory procedures in scientific and technological issues. They belong to different families of experienced actors in that field and are already structured in different European networks. CIPAST meets partners from three ranges:
- from parliamentary offices: The Rathenau Institute (RI), Den Haag, The Netherlands, and The Danish Board of Technology (DBT), Copenhagen, Denmark
- from science museums and Science Shops: La Cité de sciènces et de l´industrie (CSI), Paris, France , the Deutsches Hygienemuseum (DHMD), Dresden, Germany, the Citta della Scienza (IDIS), Naples, Italy and the Bonn Science Shop, Bonn, Germany
- from academic institutions which are engaged in the analysis and the socio-political evaluation of participative procedures: CSI, Ecole des Mines de Paris, France , CEVIPOF, Sciences Po Paris, France, Centre for the Study of Democracy (CSD), Westminster University, London, England , INRA/TSV, Paris, France, INSERM, Paris, France, Science-society interface, University of Lausanne, Switzerland
CIPAST is co-ordinated by la Cité des sciences et de l'industrie