Utrecht University Launches ‘Mission-oriented Innovation Policy Observatory’

Amongst policy makers across the world, there is a widespread interest in using ambitious missions like ‘an entirely carbon-free electricity system by 2050’ to boost innovation and tackle complex societal challenges. Possibilities to do so, however, are hampered by unresolved questions and largely neglected tensions. Researchers from Utrecht University have now launched an initiative for identifying, studying and overcoming such issues. The newly established Mission-oriented Innovation Policy Observatory promotes a critical, empirically informed dialogue with researchers, policy makers and societal stakeholders, in order to improve the general understanding of when and how missions can be effective.

Increasing understanding through physical and online events

Creating a better understanding of the possibilities and limitations of missions requires close interaction with practitioners involved in developing and managing them. To that end, the Mission-oriented Innovation Observatory has started to organise physical and virtual events in which researchers and policy makers reflect on experiences and questions so far.

The first session of an online workshop series, organised together with the OECD, pointed at challenges that may occur when adopting a missions approach. “By talking to practitioners from over a dozen of countries, we have seen that in some places public agencies or local authorities are already far more mission-minded than their central governments,” says Matthijs Janssen, coordinator of the Observatory.

“There is a view that support from high-level authorities is crucial for missions to drive change, but this also could imply that a lack of such strong commitments might stifle promising initiatives. We will certainly explore if this leads organisations to bypass national support, or to engage in new ways of influencing policy agendas.”

In-depth studies of on-going missions

Based at Utrecht University’s Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, the Observatory also undertakes in-depth studies on ongoing missions. For example, the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy has asked for a pilot study on two out of the 25 missions that were put forward by various ministries in 2019.

“An interesting aspect of the Dutch case is the strong focus on solutions brought forward by the research organisations, firms and societal stakeholders participating in Topsectors. By studying the objectives of problem-owning ministries in relation to how innovative capacities are being mobilised, the Observatory aims to provide input to debates on how missions may be steered and monitored.” Findings from studies like these are being published in reports and policy briefs, available on the Observatory’s website.

Different concepts of missions

Pursuing missions is increasingly heralded as a means to spur the search and deployment of innovative solutions for societal problems. While the European Union is pushing the concept of missions primarily in relation to research and innovation policy, other governments seem to consider missions more as a next step in their industrial policies (like Germany) or their policies for overcoming deeply rooted societal problems (like Sweden).