Addressing the Sustainable Development Goals through Transformative Innovation Policy

This research policy brief argues that achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) requires a fundamental transformation of science, technology and innovation (STI) policy, not merely mainstreaming the goals into existing frameworks.

It presents a Transformative Innovation Policy (TIP) approach that emphasises socio‑technical systems thinking to address the deep interconnections and trade‑offs among SDGs, advocates experimentation and learning to explore new pathways, and calls for inclusive participation and supportive institutional conditions that enable systemic change.

The brief outlines how traditional innovation policy has evolved through ‘three frames’ — R&D, national systems of innovation, and transformative change — and explains why a third frame is needed to orient STI policy toward ambitious SDG‑relevant transformations.