Assessing mission-specific innovation systems: Towards an analytical framework

Abstract

In the currently emerging paradigm of challenge-led and transformative innovation policies, there is increasing attention for addressing urgent societal problems by formulating clear, timebound and ambitious mission goals. Completing such transformative mission's places new demands on innovation systems, as actors and activities need to align around prioritised problem and solution directions. Consequently, new perspectives that support the appraisal of innovation systems’ performance are required for determining what hampers change processes, and which policy responses are appropriate. Following an abductive research approach, this paper aims to develop an analytical framework for assessing mission-specific innovation systems (MIS). We examine three sectoral cases in the mission for a Circular Economy in the Netherlands and propose three analytical steps: 1) a problem-solution analysis, 2) a structural analysis recognising the importance of mission arenas, and 3) a functional analysis addressing directionality provision, coordination, and regime transformation. We conclude with discussing operationalisation and application of the framework.