Italian SME specializing in Responsible Research and Innovation, gender equality, open science implementation, and inclusive policy design across EU projects.
K&I is a Rome-based consultancy specialized in Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI), helping research institutions and public bodies embed open science, gender equality, and citizen engagement into their operations. They design training tools, governance frameworks, and institutional change strategies that translate EU science policy goals into practical organizational transformation. Their work spans RRI implementation, social simulation modeling for energy transitions, and inclusive policy design — bridging the gap between EU policy ambitions and on-the-ground institutional practice. They also bring expertise in co-creation methodologies and quadruple helix engagement, connecting academia, industry, government, and civil society.
Core theme across FIT4RRI, PRO-RES, GRACE, TeRRItoria, RESBIOS, CHERRIES, RIPEET, RRIstart, STEP CHANGE, and others — covering governance, training, and institutional change.
Dedicated projects GE Academy, CASPER, MINDtheGEPs focus on gender equality plans and certification, while RESISTIRE addressed gender-based inequalities during COVID-19.
Open science appears as a core keyword in FIT4RRI, GRACE, TeRRItoria, RESBIOS, and ACCTING, consistently tied to institutional transformation strategies.
SMARTEES used agent-based modeling for energy transition policy sandboxes; ENTRANCES and RIPEET extended energy transition work into socio-economic impact and policy experimentation.
RESISTIRE, ACCTING, and partially STEP CHANGE focus on inequalities, intersectionality, gender+, and inclusive sustainability — a clear recent growth area.
Co-creation methods feature in FIT4RRI, RECIPES, CHERRIES, RIPEET, and STEP CHANGE, positioning them as facilitators of participatory research design.
K&I's early work (2017–2019) centered on building the foundations of RRI: designing training tools, governance frameworks, and institutional change strategies through projects like FIT4RRI, GRACE, and TeRRItoria — essentially helping research organizations adopt open science and open innovation practices. From 2020 onward, their focus shifted notably toward social inclusion, gender equality, and intersectionality — with projects like RESISTIRE, ACCTING, and MINDtheGEPs addressing inequalities, vulnerable groups, and inclusive policy under the Green Deal umbrella. This evolution shows a trajectory from "how to do responsible science" toward "how to make science and policy socially inclusive," adding a strong equity and justice dimension to their original RRI expertise.
K&I is moving toward inclusive transition policy — expect them to pursue projects linking Green Deal implementation with social justice, intersectionality, and citizen engagement.
K&I operates exclusively as a consortium partner, never as coordinator, across all 20 projects — suggesting they position themselves as a specialized contributor rather than a project leader. With 161 unique partners across 31 countries, they maintain an exceptionally broad European network, indicating they are sought after for their niche expertise rather than relying on a small circle of repeat collaborators. Their consistent presence in both CSA (coordination and support) and RIA (research) actions shows versatility — they can handle both policy-support work and research-oriented tasks within a consortium.
K&I has built an extensive pan-European network spanning 161 unique partners across 31 countries, giving them one of the broadest collaborative footprints for an SME of their size. Their network is strongest in Western and Southern Europe, with connections reaching across nearly all EU member states.
K&I occupies a rare niche as a private-sector SME deeply embedded in science policy and RRI — a space typically dominated by universities and public research organizations. Their combination of RRI expertise, gender equality work, and social simulation modeling makes them unusually versatile for consortium builders who need a partner that can handle both policy frameworks and quantitative modeling. For coordinators assembling SwafS or Missions proposals, K&I brings a proven track record of 20 projects and a ready-made network of 161 partners — essentially a plug-and-play consortium partner for science-and-society topics.
