The 2018 conference of the Transformative
Innovation Policy Consortium (TIPC) took place
on 3-4 October at the University of Sussex,
hosted by the Science Policy Research Unit,
and was attended by over 100 delegates from
across the world.
This report is an overview of the debates
and topics that were discussed over the two
days. The sessions were varied in content
and structure, but the focal point for all was
the emerging opportunities, contestations,
challenges and directions of Transformative
Innovation Policy (TIP) theory and practice in
the arena of science, technology and innovation
policy. The conference saw lively discussion
around key programmatic elements of TIPC
such as capacity building for TIP initiatives
and developing evaluative frameworks for TIP.
Pioneering case-studies of TIP experimentation
were also explored, including examples from
Colombia, Mexico, China, and Sweden as well
as broader analysis of regional trends across
Africa, Latin America and Europe. Other parallel
sessions explored thematic concepts crucial
for TIP, such as place-based policy making and
experimental cultures.