Kattel, Rainer; Mazzucato, Mariana; (2023) Mission-oriented innovation policies in Europe: From normative to epistemic turn? (Working Paper Series 2023-09). UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose: London, UK.

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Abstract

Mission-oriented policies have taken Europe by storm. Their widespread application vindicates placing missions at the heart of the so-called normative turn in science, innovation and technology policies. This article is concerned with whether the normative focus on directionality is accompanied by the epistemic turn – the way knowledge is created and used by public institutions – necessary to implement such policies. Richard Nelson implicitly argued for such a turn in his seminal Moon and the Ghetto, and it is increasingly dominant in academic discussions of missions. This article is based on a literature review, interviews with policymakers and participatory observations from workshops with policymakers. It shows that, first, far from being a uniform policy practice, missions are being implemented in quite different ways, largely depending on contextual factors. Second, it argues that while some interesting practical examples of the epistemic shift exist, most missions are implemented through existing institutions and policy schemes. Missions are understood through incumbent epistemological and analytical tools, and accordingly, many missions are constrained to business-as-usual practice and incremental changes in working methods. This article argues that experimentation and learning around missions will be hampered unless the capability and analytical gaps are consciously targeted.

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