Focus on innovation policy

Earlier this year, the Institute for Science, Society and Policy (ISSP) released a research paper on the urgent need to align innovation policy with the characteristics of the sectors that drive the Canadian economy, namely natural resources and services sectors. Authored by the Univ of Calgary's Dr Richard Hawkins, the paper resonated widely throughout the policy community and featured in RE$EARCH MONEY (R$, March 15/12) , shining a light on the little-known institute which was launched two years ago at the Univ of Ottawa.

Though small in size, the ISSP has a strong education mandate and an extensive network of core members, affiliates and fellows (including Hawkins) that adds muscle to its holistic approach to understanding the social implications of science and technology and technology governance. A high-profile advisory committee headed by Denise Amyot, president and CEO of the Canada Science and Technology Museums Corp, completes the package.

The mix aims to foreground policy in practical, social terms in a way which its director, Dr Marc Saner, says offers a unique perspective internationally on how science and technology interact with society at large and the role policy plays in informing all players.

making connections

ISSP is connected to other science policy group in different ways. One strong connection is with the Situating Science group of researchers. Established in 2007 with a Strategic Knowledge Cluster grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), the seven-year project promotes communication and collaboration among humanists and social scientists that are engaged in the study of S&T.

The connection has resulted in a collaborative effort between ISSP, Situating Science and the Professional Institute of the Public Service to mount a Science and Society conference in Ottawa next October.

"The conference illustrates the way we work. We try and bring science and innovation policy and technology governance together so the conference is a hybrid with a strong public component and a strong academic component," says Saner.

"The objective of the Institute is to improve the governance of science, technology and innovation. It does this by integrating research, education and public engagement at every stage of innovation — from developing science policy and improving how science and technology are regulated to understanding their social implications." — ISSP Annual Report

There are several such innovation policy-focused research units scattered across Canada. In past years there was even a networked initiative — the Innovation Systems Research Network — which was funded for 10 years by SSHRC. And while it had a narrower focus than ISSP, it featured five nodes including one in Ottawa. Since its demise several years ago, however, Ottawa has lacked a strong academic science policy unit in a city where federal science and innovation policy is both crafted and implemented. Saner says connections exist between ISSP and the researchers that were engaged through ISRN, but a lack of capacity has limited the degree to which they collaborate.

"I would also like to have a network in which we are a node. Nodes make a lot of sense as we are not the only players. But what's truly limiting is the attention of the small community," he says. "Working together takes time and it will take us a few years to be recognized and become more established. Once that position is reached, we should collectively look to find a better way to have a stronger network in which ISSP can be a unit."

ISSP is also working on another of its mandated functions to establish a strong education program bringing all aspects of its research program together in a unified learning experience. Saner says the full program will be launched in 2014. He hopes that, in five years, the institute will produce its first cohort of graduates which will be "in a unique position to bring science and innovation policy together with technology and governance — a breadth of education which I believe is unique internationally".

wake-Up call

For Saner, the stakes for developing a holistic S&T policy that resonates widely are critical to Canada's future prosperity and well being. The Hawkins paper exemplifies the ISSP approach and is currently being revamped into a shorter version. The 10-page "Wake Up Call" will condense the information in a format that is useful for policy makers.

While the policy insight isn't new, its synthesis of previous thinking applied to the current reality of Canada's economic strengths and capacity infused the original paper with a fresh perspective. The forthcoming re-write is intended to crystallize discussion while raising ISSP's profile as a catalyst within the policy community.

"It's an attempt to write in the shortest space possible the virtue and features of holistic thinking on innovation," he says. "It's truly important that something should happen now. We as a group are not so thrilled that all this shared understanding has translated into a rapid succession of research and panel reports which … don't really provide a clear lens for how to look at innovation in Canada. The file is urgent but there is also urgency to create the right format for the information. The Wake Up Call is a consensus document but the format and perspective is novel."

Saner says Canada's unique attributes — massive land mass, bountiful natural resources, diversity of perspectives and a political system that makes it difficult for innovation to become a singular focus — make a unified approach to innovation all the more important.

"The file is so outrageously important but the problem is we don't have a real clear strategy as a nation. I believe that it is the culture of innovation which is lacking," he says.

"In Switzerland where I grew up, education is absolutely sacred and people believe that the future lies in education and, by extension, innovation. Canada has space and has resources and we can cover a lot of our needs by selling them to the world. We're not as nervous."

R$