Hilmer, Cecilie; (2025) Mission Critical: The Imaginary of Mission-oriented Research and Innovation in Europe and its (Dis)Contents. Doctoral thesis (Ph.D), UCL (University College London).

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Abstract

Europe is in crisis and mission-oriented research and innovation is the answer. This is the technopolitical dynamic that this thesis explores within the European research and innovation policy landscape. The rise of mission-driven research and innovation policies has signalled a strategic shift in addressing societal challenges through technoscientific solutions. Mission-oriented policies have been promoted as essential for tackling complex issues like climate change, health, food security, and urban sustainability, often framed under a rhetoric of the common good and collective European action. This thesis critically analyses mission-oriented research and innovation as a sociotechnical imaginary, asking how this approach to science and technology makes certain futures desirable and imaginable. Through extensive qualitative methods, including policy document analysis, interviews with mission experts, and participant observation, the study reveals inherent contradictions in the mission imaginary, where technoscientific visions of the future remain disconnected from the technopolitical realities of the present. The thesis argues that, despite the ambitions of missions to unify diverse societal actors under a common purpose, they risk perpetuating and amplifying existing tensions by focusing on rapid, scalable solutions without addressing the underlying contradictions. Ultimately, the research proposes the concept of "reparative missions" as an alternative approach, emphasising care, collectivity, and a deeper engagement with Europe's political and historical context. The findings contribute to both Science and Technology Studies (STS) and Science Policy and Innovation Studies (SPIS), offering insights for more reflexive and inclusive mission-oriented policy development.

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