Component 4: Capabilities for Transformative Innovation Policy

There is increasing recognition that public sectors in Western countries alone cannot tackle complex societal challenges. However, detailed research on the role of public agents in implementing collaborative approaches remains limited. This article examines how policy entrepreneurship strategies contribute to collaborative public sector innovation (CPSI) by shaping policy design processes in transformative innovation policy. Focusing … from Policy entrepreneurship in collaborative governance: transformative innovation in Catalonia’s sustainability transition

This learning history report was produced by TIPC in 2022 and 2023 to document and reflect on the collaborative experiences of policymakers, practitioners, and researchers involved in early Transformative Innovation Policy experiments across several countries. The authors capture insights from policy engagements and learning spaces across different regions (including Europe, Africa, and Latin America) to … from Minding the gap between policymakers and researchers: The TIPC transformative learning history

This article collection presents both case studies and interpretations of the practice of change with a focus on the capabilities and the learning processes involved in assembling these capabilities. ‘Capacity development’ implies a promise of growing self-reliance, national ownership and sustainability, yet practice seems consistently to fall short of this emancipatory promise. This resource contains … from Reflecting Collectively on Capacities for Change

This guide, prepared by the European Commission Joint Research Centre and EIT’s Climate-KIC, outlines ways to employ co-creation as a tool in policy making. Chapter 5 introduces the Co-creation for policy tuner as a tool for sense-making, knowledge creation and decision-making, while Chapter 6 provides examples of application in workshop settings. The handbook aims at helping … from Co-creation for policy: Participatory methodologies to structure multi-stakeholder policymaking processes

In this example learning history, participants in the Vinnova experiment discuss the experience of adding an active reflexive layer to work on transformation of the food system. Their insights highlight the importance of reflexivity in Transformative Innovation Policy experiments for: working with complexity; managing expectations and assumptions; coping with challenges and change; finding common ground … from Learning history: Mutual understanding and trust-building

Highly complex and uncertain environments require experimentation and a different approach to evaluation.  This paper makes the case for a ‘formative evaluataion’ approach and explores the implications of following this approach for the skills, attitudes and values needed by those inovlved in the evaluation process. This article presents our approach to the evaluation of transformative … from Evaluating transformative innovation policy. Insights from two experimental policies

This valuable policy and implementation guide was published in June 2025 by the Government of Catalunya as part of the Interreg Euro‑MED Innovative Sustainable Economy (ISE) Mission initiative. It provides a shared conceptual framework and practical recommendations for designing and running Transformative Innovation Policy Labs (TIPLabs) — collaborative, place‑based spaces where regional and local stakeholders jointly address … from Guide for the design and implementation of the Innovative Sustainable Economy (ISE) Mission Transformative Innovation Policy Labs (TIPLabs)

The working paper by Rodrigo Arocena and Judith Sutz examines how national systems of innovation and transformative change can be understood from the perspective of underdevelopment, with particular attention to power relations, knowledge distribution, and societal needs. Drawing on Latin American scholarship, it argues that traditional innovation frameworks developed in industrialised contexts may overlook crucial … from Searching new alternative for development: National Systems of Innovation and Transformative Change as seen from Underdevelopment

This paper explores how the University as social entity has great potential to confront epistemic injustices by expanding epistemic capabilities. To do this, we primarily follow the contributions of scholars such as Miranda Fricker and José Medina. The epistemic capabilities and epistemic injustice nexus will be explored via two empirical cases: the first one is … from Epistemic Capabilities and Epistemic Injustice: What is the Role of Higher Education in Fostering Epistemic Contributions of Marginalized Knowledge Producers?

This journal article provides a vocabulary for describing some of the impediments to achieving a co-productive way of working as well as some of  the ways to negotiate the tensions involved in this way of working. Co-production, the collaborative weaving of research and practice by diverse societal actors, is argued to play an important role … from Co-productive Agility and Four Collaborative Pathways to Sustainability Transformations

This 90 minute Webinar recording examines the various ways in which the generation and circulation of knowledge is central to action-oriented research with a particular focus on food systems.     … from Action-oriented research for sustainability transformations

Reflective practices are methods and techniques that help individuals and groups reflect on their experiences and actions in order to engage in a process of continuous learning.  This blog focusses on the ‘how’ of achieving practice and outlines key pointers to individual and group capability building for reflective practice.  It also considers distinctions between reflective … from Primer on reflective practice

This blog draws upon experience in the UK civil service to discuss the enabling conditions and personal characteristics needed to navigate the interface between formal institutional structures (what is on the organisation chart of a unit of government) and the informal structures (networks of people with knowledge and skills relevant to devising and implementing policies). … from Learning from the places where informal and formal change activity meet — Part One

This blog is written from the perspective of a group of UK civil servants interested in positive change.  They are interested in the issues surrounding the interaction between formal institutional structure (e.g. what is on an organisational chart for a unit of government) and informal structures (the networks of people with knowledge and capabilities relevant … from Learning from the places where informal and formal change activity meet — Part Three

This blog introduces the idea that change is often shaped or patterned by processes that are largely invisible — the lived experience of those who are involved who bring values, routines, and mindsets to their work lives.  The patterns of relationships, resourcing, and power are influenced by these processes and have substantial inertia.  Change therefore … from Learning Patterns of Relationships, Resources and Power

This blog explains the importance of boundary spanners (individuals that connect otherwise separate groups or units within an organisation).  It then outlines seven skill skills that boundary spanners need to be effective in this role.   … from Skills for becoming a Boundary Spanner

This short essay considers uncertainty, awareness and ambiguity as involving both issues of knowledge, e.g. future possibilities, and what we call interdisciplinarity — bringing people together with different understandings and assumptions.  The argument is that the process of resolving the ambiguity in peoples’ viewpoints is often the most fundamental problem in organisational life.   … from Uncertainty, Awareness and Ambiguity – Principles

This blog series is a big picture overview of the personal and organisation journey involved in transformative change.  It suggests that this journey involves distinct stages such as awareness, personal transformation and action.  Most of the content involves the personal journey including insight into the psychological issues involved.  The organisational level is mostly addressed in … from Spaces for growth: Learning our way out of a crisis

This report published by the Escola d’Administració Pública de Catalunya (EAPC) introduces a competency framework that identifies and describes key competencies needed for collaborative work in research and innovation, especially within public administration contexts. It is intended to support teams working on complex, multi-actor projects, where different sectors, disciplines and perspectives must be integrated. It … from Competency framework for collaborative work in research and innovation / Marco competencial para el trabajo colaborativo en investigación e innovación

The objective of this paper is to contribute to an important debate concerning the interaction between place-based social movements and the science, technology and innovation system. Our central proposition is that place-based social movements can facilitate unique local heterogeneous alliances with key actors of the science and technology system. A process of bricolage can emerge … from Fostering place-based coalitions between social movements and science for sustainable urban environments: A case of embedded agency