Topics of interest

My focus is on a number of topics that excite me within the broad field of research and innovation policy.

Better policy making and effective policy mixes

The range of possible and proven policy interventions aimed at making research and innovation systems perform well, is extensive. Yet the details of the design of each of these interventions should fit in the local, regional or national context of the system. There is no one size fits all in R&I policy. This applies to programme types that have been recognised for a long time such as R&I grants, subsidies, tax credits and start-up support. But also, to newer types of policies such as missions, transformative and challenge-oriented approaches. National and regional innovation eco-systems each have their own strengths, weaknesses and opportunities, so the appropriate policy mix needs to fit with this context.

Typical questions on policy mixes

  • What can we learn from good practices in other countries?
  • Does the programme or institution that we set up still address our objectives effectively and efficiently?
  • What are appropriate monitoring and evaluation frameworks?
  • How do we involve a broader set of stakeholders to ensure R&I uptake?
  • Can we improve cross-border collaboration of our initiatives?
  • What policy experimentation could we pilot to address a problem in a different way?

Governance of research and innovation

The governance of research and innovation refers to the structures, organisational rules and relations, the culture of policy decision making that shape the effectiveness and transparency of policy implementation. Typical national innovation systems have a myriad of actors, with policy decision makers (ministries, councils), funding agencies, universities, research performing organisations, regional authorities and businesses all playing a different role in governance. The great diversity of governance systems across countries is one of the main reasons why ‘one size does not fit all’ in R&I policy.

Increasingly there is a need for more coherent and joined up policy making to tackle what is often called ‘wicked problems’ in society. Cooperation between parts of government that are typically organised in silos is essential for R&I to contribute to tackling societal issues. This is notoriously difficult in most countries.

Typical questions on governance

  • How can we improve high-level policy cooperation and political support in R&I?
  • What are effective arrangements to fund and manage research performing organisations (e.g. universities, research and technology organisations, public research organisations, medical research facilities)
  • What are good examples of societal challenge driven R&I programmes that have the commitment of multiple policy domains?
  • Are R&I missions suitable for a more joined up approach in governance?

The role of R&I in industrial policy

Innovation performance is a key ingredient of global competitiveness. Alongside the societal contributions of R&I, a key role of innovation policy is to help innovative companies, start-up, grow and scale up. In Europe boosting investment in R&I is a key pillar of industrial policy, which has regained interest in recent years. The context has however changed with an urgent need to reach a net-zero society and in response to new geopolitical challenges, asking for strategic choices which technologies and sectors to prioritise. Improving public-private collaboration in R&I to accelerate innovation is a recurring topic.

Typical questions in industrial policy

  • How to strike the right balance between strategic technologies vs industrial sectors, established companies vs emerging companies, specific value chains vs overall R&I ecosystem support?
  • What role can R&I policy play to secure the greening of industry?
  • How can we best organise public-private collaboration in R&I and which models have seen good results?
  • How can we improve knowledge transfer between public sector R&I and the private sector? What institutional arrangements can we make to stimulate this?
  • What are typical success factors of industry oriented research centres?