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Lost in translation: Challenges in creating new transformative innovation policy practices

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  • Johanna Ulmanen
  • Anna Bergek
  • Hans Hellsmark

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to identify key challenges that national policymakers face in trying to translate transformative innovation policy (TIP) theory into policy practice. We focus on the case of the Swedish innovation agency Vinnova’s attempt to translate its TIP-related innovation perspective into the policy practice of the Swedish Innovation Partnership Programme (IPP). By means of a discourse perspective, we identify two key discourses and one institution influencing Vinnova’s translation process. In addition, we describe four key challenges that Vinnova faces in this translation process relating to (i) the involvement of relevant stakeholders, (ii) overcoming a dominant discourse, (iii) time constraints of an institutionalized parliamentary system, and (iv) realizing policy coordination ambitions. This study adds to previous literature in identifying dominant discourses or institutional structures as a key barrier for change. Its contribution is to show how transformative translation challenges are played out in a national-level context.Author summary: The purpose of this paper is to identify key challenges that national policymakers face when translating a set of new ideas on policy for sustainability transitions, called transformative innovation policy (TIP), into policy practice. Considering the urgency of sustainability transitions and that these new ideas have hardly been tested in practice, it is of general interest to understand what such challenges can be. In this paper we focus on the case of the Swedish innovation agency Vinnova and their attempt to translate some of the new core ideas into policy practice. In the paper we identified how different ideas from the Swedish Social Democratic Party, together with linear and technocratic ideas on innovation influenced Vinnovas translation process. In addition, we identify four key challenges faced by Vinnova, which other policy practitioners will also most likely encounter if they adopt similar ideas: (i) the involvement of relevant actor groups, (ii) overcoming existing and dominating ideas on how policy should be formulated, (iii) time constraints of an institutionalized parliamentary system, and (iv) delivering on policy coordination. The main contribution of this study is to show how transformative translation challenges are played out in a national-level context.

Suggested Citation

  • Johanna Ulmanen & Anna Bergek & Hans Hellsmark, 2022. "Lost in translation: Challenges in creating new transformative innovation policy practices," PLOS Sustainability and Transformation, Public Library of Science, vol. 1(10), pages 1-23, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pstr00:0000031
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pstr.0000031
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    References listed on IDEAS

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