home  |  Transformative Innovation Policy Consortium (TIPC)

Transformative Innovation Policy Consortium (TIPC)

Creating a “Transdisciplinary, Accessible and Sustainable Knowledge Infrastructure“ (TASK-I) for Transformative Innovation policy

9th June 1530-1700 CEST

Organised by: Christina Miariti, Bipashyee Ghosh, Johan Schot, Matthias Weber, Jonas Torrens, Katharina Schiller

Background

Over the past three years, an inter–network dialogue has brought together members of four networks involved in research and practice on science, technology and innovation policy, to explore intersections around the emerging ‘Transformative Innovation Policy’ theme. These networks are:

  • Eu-SPRI: European Forum for Studies of Policies for Research and Innovation
  • TIPC: Transformative Innovation Policy Consortium
  • STRN – Sustainability Transitions Research Network
  • AfricaLics/Globelics – African/Global Network for Economics of Learning, Innovation, and Competence Building Systems

The dialogue was implemented through a number of sessions at key events of these communities where different STI communities such as academics and policy practitioners came together to understand and mobilise innovation policies towards addressing complex and urgent socio-technical-environmental challenges through systemic transformations. Last year, this inter-network dialogue has led to the publication of a Transformative Innovation Policy (TIP) Research Agenda (September 2020) as a working paper that collates discussions in several sessions and workshops, categorised under three main themes – 1) conceptualisation, 2) actors and contexts and 3) operationalisation of TIP.

Moving forward, the networks have agreed to think further on advancing the space that the TIP Research Agenda establishes by considering how to develop a Transdisciplinary, (globally) Accessible and Sustainable Knowledge Infrastructure (TASK-I) on Transformative Innovation Policy. This infrastructure will be building on the research agenda themes and seeks to transform the academic practices of knowledge production and of engagement as necessary for socio-technical transformations. This is the central topic of the next Transformative Innovation Policy (TIP) Conference, a joint initiative of TIPC and Eu-SPRI scheduled to take place in January 2022.

The dialogue workshop at the Eu-SPRI 2021 Conference

Ahead of the TIP conference 2022, we propose a dialogue workshop as part of the Eu-SPRI 2021 Conference to create the space to:

  1. Explore the scope and meaning of a Transdisciplinary, Accessible and Sustainable Knowledge Infrastructure. Our idea is to interrogate the established forms of knowledge production, exchange, interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary collaboration, and create space for participation in TIP research from Global South as well as Global North. How can we create space for genuine collaboration and knowledge exchange between academics and practitioners? How to build capacities across geographies to fight the prevailing incentives in academia to establish an alternative mode of more equitable and accessible knowledge creation and application? How can we link up and connect existing and future STI policy projects and programmes to create and sustain such an infrastructure?
  2. Explore and reflect on the role of the Eu-SPRI Conference and subsequently other STI community knowledge exchange events as an experimental space for building a transdisciplinary and sustainable knowledge infrastructure. Specifically, we ask: what is the role of (virtual) conferences in transdisciplinary knowledge creation? How can we experiment with the design, setup, modes and content of TIP-oriented conferences in order to maximise impact and collaboration across stakeholders for achieving SDGs? What tools are available to transform the current regime of knowledge production and exchange and what are the barriers and challenges in transforming this regime?

This type of questions calls for a dialogue between STI scholars and funders and practitioners already applying TIP principles in their work. Such a dialogue would enable delineating the topic of a ‘sustainable knowledge infrastructure’ in a manner that reveals associated controversies and opportunities. For this, we propose a session space where academics and non-academics come together in a ‘co-creation mode‘ to discuss and deliberate on thinking or actions that are needed to move the TIP research agenda forward. This is why we envision a session that is slightly different from the conventional conference sessions. A key outcome of this session will be to carry forward the interesting ideas and suggestions to TIP conference 2022, where we will reflect back on these experimental events/workshops/sessions and consolidate the learnings about challenges and opportunities of TASK-I.

 

Visit the website of TIPC.