Governance arrangements for the implementation of transformative innovation policy: insights from a comparative case study

There has been great interest in the rationales for transformative innovation policies (TIP), including those following a mission-oriented logic. However, few studies have investigated how public administration can effectively implement TIP. To study this, we first identify from existing literature four TIP governance tasks (creating legitimacy and leadership, coordination across levels/instruments/actors, reflexivity, resolving conflicts) and three distinct governance modes (administrative-, network-, and system-oriented). In a comparative study, we then ask how the different governance modes shape the implementation of the TIP governance tasks, including the opportunities and boundaries related to a specific mode. Empirical insights are obtained from seven regional and national policy programmes across Europe with an ambition to promote system-wide transformation. Our analysis highlights similarities and differences between transformative policy designs and identifies challenges related to implementing the TIP tasks within certain modes. The findings serve to inform and inspire the further uptake of transformative and mission-oriented innovation policies.