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China has become an impactful science superpower, but it is asserted that its influence provides it with disproportionate benefits that some national research policies have not thus far appreciated. To create context, Web of Science data are used to analyse research collaborations between the UK and China: trends in volume of output between 1981 and 2019; citation impact; and comparative performance across research fields. UK–China collaboration increased from fewer than 100 co-authored papers before 1990, to 750 per year in 2000, 3,324 in 2010, and 16,267 papers (10.9 per cent of UK output) in 2019. UK–China collaboration is concentrated in technology-based fields: in some (e.g. telecommunication), over 30 per cent of UK papers are in collaboration with Chinese-based researchers. The paper discusses the policy consequences to the UK of this indicative dependency, arguing that exiting from such collaborations is ill advised, provided the risks, perceived or real, are mapped, managed, and mitigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this paper is to study the relationship between academic performance, gender, and science and technology grants. The empirical analysis is based on the Argentinean Fund for Scientific and Technological Research 'Scientific and Technological Research Projects' (FONCYT-PICT). The methodology is based on a multivariate decomposition for non-linear response models, an extension of the Oaxaca–Blinder decomposition. Results confirm the presence of a gender gap. Women have lower probabilities of being awarded with funds than men, even when academic trajectories are alike. Results show that even if the productivity gap is closed, men's and women's trajectories are differently valued against women, and this negatively impacts their probability of being awarded. Therefore, even if women manage to publish more and—somehow—be more cited, the gap will persist. Explicit public policy measures are required to close the current gap and stop reproducing it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper asks: 'What can we learn from COVID-19 pandemic about effective use of scientific and technical information (STI) in policymaking and how might the lessons be put to use?' The paper employs the political rhetoric of 'follow the science' as a lens for examining contemporary concerns in the use of STI, including (1) 'Breadth of Science Products', the necessity of a broader concept of STI that includes by-products science, (2) 'Science Dynamism', emphasizing the uncertainty and impeachability of science, (3) 'STI Urgency' suggesting that STI use during widespread calamities differs from more routine applications, and (4) 'Hyper-politicization of Science', arguing that a step-change in the contentiousness of politics affects uses and misuses of STI. The paper concludes with a discussion, STI Curation, as a possible ingredient to improving effective use. With more attention to credibility and trust of STI and to the institutional legitimacy of curators, it should prove possible to improve the effective use of STI in public policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Building on a case study of a strategic funding initiative for biotechnology research and innovation, the paper analyses how policy objectives concerning innovation and value creation are responded to within the practices of researchers and governance actors. The paper employs an analytical perspective that centres on the interrelation between policy articulations and actors' daily work practices and provides a novel study of how innovation demands are negotiated and made sense of within the context of three different empirical sites: national policy and science governance, intermediary science governance, and research practices. The paper addresses a problematic 'hopeful' mode of governance in today's policy that is based on the idea of filling innovation deficits in current practices. As an alternative to this mode, the paper argues for the need for a more empathetic and practice-oriented policy discourse on innovation and value creation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In what ways are experts involved in policy development, and with what results? This paper attempts to answer these questions through a structured review of the academic literature, focusing on the identification of ‘methodologies’ of expert involvement, and on analying the subsequent policy impact of those exercises. Coding was applied to 103 articles, revealing that only a small range of methods has been utilised, that method choice is infrequently justified, and with little evidence of evaluation (either of the expert involvement process or of policy impact). We argue that robust evaluative processes are necessary to refine the efficacy of involvement processes (and the accuracy with which involvement methods are aligned to specific types of policy questions) and to document policy translation of outcomes. We therefore propose a framework to identify appropriate consultation methods for specific policy questions, and suggest some criteria for reporting expert involvement processes in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this paper, we chronicle key US legislative initiatives during the post–World War II history of public policy related to the ownership of publicly funded research-based knowledge. Our motivation for recording this history is the observation that many scholars, who are appropriately concerned about taxpayer rights, have argued for the need for public policy to clarify ownership of the publicness or openness of publicly funded research results when in fact such public policies have long been in place. We conclude this historical trace with the proposition that if the past is prologue to the future, one might expect future administrations to continue to acknowledge the importance of public access to findings from publicly funded research, be that research having occurred in federal laboratories, universities, or private-sector organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) are biopharmaceuticals prescribed in oncology, rheumatology, and for other chronic and autoimmune diseases. Over the last decade, the demand for MAbs grew significantly in developing countries like Brazil, concomitant to the restructuring of the global biopharmaceutical industry, opening windows of opportunities for catching-up economies. This paper aims to analyze the capacity of a public policy, the so-called Production Development Partnership Program (PDPP), to encourage the generation of national capabilities to the local biopharmaceutical industry and technological upgrading in the biopharmaceutical sector in Brazil. It is a case study supported by qualitative data from twenty-three interviews. By focusing on technology transfer processes rather than on more complex strategies of technological learning and upgrading in domestic agents, the impact of PDPP has been marginal. We draw insights from this empirical appraisal to outline some lessons and challenges involved in the implementation of technology-upgrading policies in developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Experiences of recent years place a premium, for governments and individuals, on being able to discern the possible shape of the future: what is likely to influence it, and what can be done to prepare for it. This special section is based on selected papers from the Third International Seville Seminar on Future-Oriented Technology Analysis, held 16-17 October 2008 at Seville, Spain, which addressed the challenge of increasing the impact of future-oriented technology analysis on policy and decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this paper is to study the use of intellectual property (IP) rights by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The paper draws on different surveys and studies in selected countries, with an emphasis on Canadian SMEs, to compare the use and exploitation of IP by company size. The paper finds that despite the potential benefits of acquiring formal IP rights for SMEs, they use IP rights to a lesser degree than large companies due to several factors, mainly the low rate of innovation compared to large companies and the cost and complexity of the IP system. The paper also presents a framework to analyze whether there is a role for government to play in this area, and how the government could address this under-utilization of IP rights by SMEs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper seeks to contribute to a better understanding of the complex dynamics that shape the contribution of research to policy and innovation processes that address ‘competing claims’ on natural resources and their management. Research in the context of competing claims requires strategies that: (1) can cope with high uncertainty and unpredictability; (2) are concerned with understanding the multiple dimensions of the issue at stake; (3) can facilitate change across different scales and levels; (4) include collaboration with different actors and stakeholders; and (5) may imply new roles for research and researchers. This paper reviews and builds upon research approaches to address these challenges. These research approaches are combined in a framework for dynamic research configurations that aims to stimulate reflection among researchers and to promote more embedded, context-sensitive and flexible research strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper suggests a new theoretical approach to studying intermediary institutions, particularly intermediary institutions at the science–policy nexus. Intermediary institutions that mediate between science and politics have often been approached from the perspective of ‘boundary organizations’. But this model, incorporating assumptions of principal–agent theory, is not suitable for capturing case studies (of intermediary institutions) in ambiguous governance contexts. Indeed, there is a lack of systemic studies of the material implications that the rise of new governance actors has, for example for governing emerging technologies. Therefore, we need a new theoretical vocabulary to grasp how intermediary institutions emerge and how they work in practice. This paper addresses this gap by analysing the shortcomings of a nanotechnology observatory project. Drawing on both actor network theory and political discourse theory, the paper outlines a three-fold framework based on the concept of logics that shifts the focus of research toward an analysis of context-based case studies of intermediaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to identify the macro-environmental dimensions through which Brazilian scientists and government officials have framed issues surrounding liquid biofuels over a period of time. This study analyzes scientific papers published by researchers affiliated with Brazilian institutions and official documents of the Brazilian government related to liquid biofuels. Documents published during a ten-year period (1997-2006) were collected from electronic sources. Text-mining procedures were applied through a framework of macro-environmental dimensions and their corresponding d-words in order to extract high-quality content. Results indicate that the macro-environment developed by Brazilian scientists differs from the one created by the government. Variations in describing macro-environmental dimensions existed for both the Brazilian government and for scientists during the period of analysis. Similarity tests reveal significant differences between the scientific documents and the government documents, indicating that Brazilian public policy regarding liquid biofuels is dissociated from the scientific findings of Brazilian researchers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the varying effects of a changing institutional environment on academic research practices in three fields of Dutch animal science. Our analysis shows that the shifts in funding have stimulated interactions with societal stakeholders in fields where this has helped to sustain a basic research agenda. In other fields researchers experience a tension between satisfying the needs of application-oriented funding sources and reaching high scores on evaluations dominated by bibliometric indicators. The paper concludes with the identification of three field characteristics that seem to moderate the effects of institutional changes on academic research practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the tight coupling between European climate science and policy. Drawing upon the analytical idiom of co-production it examines how knowledge-making practices are incorporated into European climate policy-making, and more importantly, how EU climate policy has influenced the funding, making and interpretation of useful European climate policy research. The paper identifies a tension between the critical/reflexive ambition built into the co-production idiom, and the more utilitarian interpretation of the term. Whereas the former sets out to expose and interrogate the ontological assumptions underpinning public policy, the latter seeks to be useful by responding to the knowledge needs of societal decision-makers. This tension is analysed through a case study of the integrated research project ADAM (Adaptation and Mitigation Strategies: Supporting European Climate Policy) funded under the 6th Framework Programme of the EU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses the co-evolution of science, technology and innovation policy and industrial structure in a small, open, resource-based economy (Norway). The contributions of the paper are threefold. First, it develops an evolutionary and historically oriented approach to the study of the development of these policies that may have wide applicability. Second, it focuses on a particular type of innovation, innovation in resource-based activities, that differs in many respects from the more commonly studied case of innovation in 'high-tech' industries. Third, the paper advances our understanding of the roles played by institutions and politics in innovation. Previous work on national systems of innovation has devoted little attention to these matters, possibly because much of this work examines 'snapshots' of various innovation systems at a specific point in time and lacks historical depth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alongside theories of innovation, different measures of innovativeness and innovative capability have been developed. However, there are problems with the existing evaluation tools, especially when considering the dynamics of innovation processes. The measurement of the innovativeness of regions is particularly challenging. This paper describes recent changes in regional innovation policy models. It is argued that these policy models demand new tools for evaluating regional innovative capability. This paper tries to overcome some of the problems of the current evaluation tools. It outlines a framework for the network-based innovative capability evaluation matrix for evaluating and developing regional innovation policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores qualitative research that aimed to understand how scientists encounter the science-policy boundary in the ordinary course of doing their research. In interviews, scientists sometimes referred to institutions whose role it is to stabilize the relationship between science and policy - boundary organizations as Guston (1999) has called them. Individual scientists, however, often engage in their own versions of 'boundary work' between science and policy. The paper suggests that it may be useful to explore the implications of this more individualized, less institutionalized boundary work to understand better the shifting identity of contemporary science [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to explain the divergence in technological strategies among leading electric vehicle (EV) firms in China. EVs, with their prospect of energy efficiency and emission reduction, have attracted widespread attention in recent years. However, EV development still faces technological challenges. While these challenges are similar for all firms, their coping strategies are highly divergent. One of the main reasons is that the policy environment for Chinese EV developers is shaped by a multiplicity of institutional logics which are sometimes incoherent. This allows firms to selectively build on those institutional logics that meet their needs and priorities. This strategic behavior results in divergent technological paths. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The question of how the incentives of national performance-based research funding systems affect local management practices within the higher education sector has high empirical and theoretical importance, but has so far received limited attention. From a traditional organization theory perspective the Norwegian system represents a puzzle: it is of marginal economic importance and the external pressure to fully implement the system at local levels is weak. A loose coupling between the national system and the local implementation would therefore be expected. Yet, in many instances we document a quite tight coupling between system-level incentives and local practices. Based on a recent evaluation of the Norwegian model, which identifies a number of indirect mechanisms that contribute to the trickling down of incentives, this paper shows that traditional coupling perspectives are oversimplistic. A large variation across institutions, fields and departments is, however, also observed and possible explanations for this are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nature of public participation in EU research governance is an under-explored area. Assumptions that governance arrangements enable direct participation of 'the public' are identified in the academic literature on science communication. This paper considers the extent to which such assumptions can be supported. It presents findings from a preliminary investigation into the discursive construction of the 'scientific citizen' in selected official texts of the EU in the context of the development of the European Research Area, focusing on new research infrastructures with the legal status of a European Research Infrastructure Consortium. Specific modes of participation are identified: as assessors of the accountability of decision-makers; as recipients and beneficiaries of scientists' knowledge-based decisions; and as participants in the scientific process via open access arrangements. The participation of the 'scientific citizen' is constructed as linked but external to the decision-making processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last decade nanotechnology entered the policy arena as a technology that is simultaneously promising and threatening, and with a similar Janus-like face, nanotechnology entered the development agenda. How does a developing country like India deal with nanotechnology? Combining a quantitative and qualitative approach, this paper outlines the developments, discussions, and silences concerning nanotechnology in India. The nanotechnology landscape in India is dominated by government initiatives. Government investments led to a steady rise in global publication rankings, scientific collaborations and the number of institutions involved. This growth is mainly rooted in fundamental research and public research institutes. Industry involvement and patenting activity are at a nascent stage and developing slowly. Issues that were raised in the Indian context relate to funding, capacity, commercialization, regulation of risks, and the distribution of benefits. Nanotechnology is positively viewed across the board, with notable silences on ethical issues and the relation to the public. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The interpretation of risk in governance frameworks for genetically modified (GM) foods is an important component of their design and function. This paper develops the concept of a risk frame to better understand how perceptions of risk, uncertainty, and authority over evidence are considered in governance frameworks for GM foods. It develops a typology of risk frames: the proof of harm, precautious and precaution through experience risk frames. The ‘precaution through experience’ risk frame is an emergent concept offering possible avenues beyond current regulatory standoffs by incorporating both scientific and socio-economic perspectives of risk in deepened deliberative settings. The paper uncovers how varying interpretations of uncertainty and acceptable levels of risk associated with innovative technologies influence the development of public policy within regulatory frameworks for biotechnology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stem cell research has emerged as a state-level science and technology policy issue in recent years in the USA, with some states supporting research in the field and others choosing to restrict it. In this paper, we systematically explore the factors that are associated with US states’ adoptions of both supportive and restrictive stem cell policies. Our analysis identifies several factors, including partisan politics, existing morality policies, the strength of a state’s scientific community and the policy environment in neighboring states, which influence the adoption of state stem cell policies. Our paper aims to advance the science and technology policy literature by providing insight into the factors that push states to adopt science policies when economic development goals conflict with ethical concerns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public unease that stem cell research (SCR) may be proceeding somewhat unfettered raises issues about links between trust in and regulation of science/scientists, with wider relevance to a policy drive to (re)build public trust in science. This paper analyses three themes: different objects of trust in science (individuals, institutions and wider context); links between these objects of trust and potential roles for regulation in trust building; and trust building as a performative practice. The paper draws empirically on deliberations on trust and regulation in SCR at a UK public engagement event. Our findings demonstrate that dialogic encounters between scientists and wider publics can generate considerable openness and sophistication, with participants capable of deliberating on the multifaceted nature of 'trust' and grappling with complex and challenging issues. We reflect on the circumstances in which regulation might enhance public trust in science, on the possible role of public engagement in trust building, and on calls for greater institutional reflexivity by scientists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nature conservation policy relies on ecological indicators to assess ecosystem quality and to evaluate the effectiveness of policy and management. Ecological indicators are science-based instruments that classify nature into different (ecosystem) types, each of which is characterised by specific parameters and references. This paper draws on classification and boundary object theory to analyse two case studies about the role of ecological indicators in nature conservation. The cases show that interpretative flexibility is an important factor explaining the effectiveness of ecological indicators as boundary objects. However, rather than a characteristic of the indicator itself, this is a social achievement, which depends on a common culture of shared values and preferences. The paper concludes by discussing the implications of these findings for the concept of boundary objects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the impact of research on policy is a vital, and often overlooked, element of policymaking. A systematic literature review was conducted to examine methods for evaluating the impact of research on policy outcomes. The review focused in particular on strategic policy levels (rather than implementation) and waste, environment and pollution policy. The review draws on an international literature, although it is limited to English language publications. The findings identify the different methods used, the advantages and disadvantages of different approaches and the methods that are most effective (particularly in terms of cost). The field of research impact evaluation is currently experiencing rapid development, and there is scope to develop and apply new conceptual frameworks and innovative methods for evaluation, and to conduct and publish more research impact evaluations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper advances our understanding of university spin-off creation and development in environments outside the high-tech cluster of the USA. It adopts a multi-level approach in its examination of this phenomenon in diverse institutional environments. In particular, units of analysis involving universities, technology transfer offices, spin-off firms, finance providers and individual entrepreneurs and teams are analysed. Policy implications are analysed and recommendations are proposed for current policy on university spin-offs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scientific policy advice, and research for such advice, involves making a broad set of choices, for instance on research strategy and on the presentation of results. The issue context approach offers guidelines for individual advisors and advisory bodies (and their designers) to deal with these decisions. It distinguishes types of problems and connects particular strategies to each type. The issue context approach is critically assessed in this paper. Can this approach be of help for responsible scientific advisors and for designers of advisory bodies? We conclude that, for empirical and logical reasons, the issue context approach cannot live up to its promise. This assessment helps to determine the limits of the ambitions of the public administration to make policy-making more scientific. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper attempts to provide a systematic assessment of the 'Bayh-Dole' effect on the university- industry-government structures of Malaysia, a developing economy, from a quantitative dimension, in order to provide policy-makers with the central aspects of structural change. This paper takes account of those studies which question the significance of university patenting from the perspective of quality and utility. We observe widespread endogenization of university patenting and co-patenting processes in indigenous technology development cycles after the passage of Bayh-Dole-type legis- lation. The basic research supports and subsequent provisions of Bayh-Dole-type legislation provide us with the implications of strategic policy in attaining a productive network structure for techno- logical innovations. We consider the importance of Bayh-Dole-type legislation in routinizing univer- sity research with regard to potential commercial values or applications. Thus, we break new ground in considering what the passage of such legislation actually achieves in a developing economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For years, technological innovations have been the cause of controversy. In reaction to this, increasingly often the bodies responsible for implementing these innovations undertake social dialogue with stakeholders. An important environment for this is media discourse, which defines the problems and key actors and disseminates strategies for argumentation. Effective communication on public policies is one of the challenges in deliberative democracy. This paper aims to analyse the role of experts and knowledge in reference to the models of public communication on shale gas. Using a qualitative press analysis, an incoherence was observed in the understanding of knowledge and the profile of experts and the models of communication using them. The communication, which is rather oriented towards persuasion without legitimisation of scientific factual knowledge, fails. Reference in the discourse to the unknown or uncertain directs attention to the issues related to the strategic exploitation of nonknowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enhancing the responsiveness of science and innovation programs to societal values is a critical element of responsible innovation. Distinct from laboratory-level research into socio-technical integration, this paper focuses on integration and responsiveness at the level of research priority setting. Taking the case of nanotechnology, it evaluates decision-making in the USA and the UK in the wake of novel policy initiatives for societal research and engagement. It asks to what extent decision-makers explicitly reflected upon societal considerations during priority setting and allocation. Interviews with key decision-makers and staff reveal limited integration of societal actors and considerations during research prioritization. In response to a pervasive history of institutional practices that preclude socio-technical integration, and in contrast to concerns that such considerations may slow down R&D, we propose that building responsiveness into research prioritization can support productivity, contribute to more socially robust outcomes, and possibly even enhance national competitiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This special issue celebrates the work of Bengt-Åke Lundvall on his 70th birthday. In the 1980s and 1990s he was a key player among a small group of academics in the USA and Europe that developed a new, systemic approach to the study of the interactions between science, innovation, and policy. He contributed to the popularity of the approach in the policy community in several ways, among other things through his period as Deputy Director at the Directorate for Science, Technology and Industry at the OECD between 1992 and 1995, and through his later work for the European Commission, as evidenced among other things by the highly influential booklet, The Globalising Learning Economy: Implications for Innovation Policy. His strong emphasis on learning, a hallmark of Lundvall's approach, is also evident in much of his recent work. This issue has six papers written by some of his collaborators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 2008 crisis had severe consequences in Europe at many levels. One of them is the significantly lower levels of public and private investments. This article explores to what extent a large plan of public innovation investment could contribute to the overall economic recovery and to opening a new stage of development in the European Union (EU). We argue that key scientific and technological opportunities, currently untapped, exist, which have the potential to accelerate economic growth and to pull in private investments. Decisive instruments, such as the Juncker investment plan and the proposed 2021–7 Framework Programme Horizon Europe, are important steps in that direction. The article concludes by reviving Lundvall's call for a Council for Innovation and Competence Building that should have the same political weight as the EU Economic and Financial Affairs Council. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The US National Science Foundation’s (NSF’s) Division of Policy Research and Analysis (PRA) supported academic research related to, among many other things, measurement of the returns to private and public R&D, during the early 1980s. The findings from this body of research became a foundation for a number of technology and innovation policies promulgated in the aftermath of the US productivity slowdown in the 1970s, and, as we suggest in this paper, a foundation for many contemporary technology and innovation policy initiatives. We argue that there are lessons to be learned from PRA’s successes from its sponsorship of research in this area, and we suggest one possible area of future emphasis for NSF’s ongoing Science of Science and Innovation Policy program. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A major theme in the debate on Proposition 71, the 2004 California ballot initiative in which voters approved US$3 billion in state funding for stem cell research, was the tension between values-based opposition to the use of embryos in medical research and a focus on the potential health benefits of stem cell therapies. Using a dataset that combines individual-level voting intention data from three Field Poll pre-election surveys and county-level data, the present study finds that moral opposition to Proposition 71 decreased as the local prevalence of chronic diseases and the proportion of elderly residents in respondents’ counties increased. The paper argues that this finding reflects an increase in the salience of the possible benefits of stem cell research that was driven by local conditions, and concludes with a discussion of the implications of this dynamic for the democratic governance of regenerative medicine in the context of an aging society. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper explores a global trend where universities are collaborating with government, industry and civil society to advance the sustainable transformation of a specific geographical area or societal sub-system. With empirical evidence, we argue that this function of ‘co-creation for sustainability’ could be interpreted as the seeds of an emerging, new mission for the university. We demonstrate that this still evolving mission differs significantly from the economic focus of the third mission and conventional technology transfer practices, which we argue, should be critically examined. After defining five channels through which a university can fulfil the emerging mission, we analyse two frontrunner ‘transformative institutions’ engaged in co-creating social, technical and environmental transformations in pursuit of materialising sustainable development in a specific city. This study seeks to add to the debate on the third mission and triple-helix partnerships. It does so by incorporating sustainable development and place-based co-creation with government, industry and civil society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

National and international organisations have implemented governance mechanisms to address a diversity of ethical, security and policy challenges raised by advances in research and innovation. These challenges become particularly complex when research or innovations are considered ‘dual-use’, i.e. can lead to both beneficial and harmful uses, and in particular, civilian (peaceful) and military (hostile) applications. While many countries have mechanisms (i.e. export controls) to govern the transfer of dual-use technology (e.g. nuclear, cryptography), it is much less clear how dual-use research from across the range of academic disciplines can or should be governed. Using the Canadian research and policy context as case study, this paper will first, examine the governance mechanisms currently in place to mitigate the negative implications of dual-use research and innovation; second, compare these with other relevant international governance contexts; and finally, propose some ways forward (i.e. a risk analysis approach) for developing more robust governance mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Space debris comprises all non-functional human-made objects in Earth orbit or re-entering the atmosphere. Potentially hazardous orbital debris is proliferating. If current trends continue, orbital debris will become a significant factor in constraining space activity. Space, however, is one of the most strategically important theatres of the 21st century. It is thus imperative, given humanity’s reliance on space, that the issue of space debris be addressed. This paper provides an overview of the existing space debris environment, sources of debris and international efforts to monitor it. It analyses space debris mitigation guidelines and the proposed International Code of Conduct for Outer Space Activities. It considers an international treaty to govern space debris as well as the establishment of an international review board to assist in regulating and reducing the amount of debris. It also assesses the challenges of remediation and other policy actions to increase international cooperation to preserve the space environment. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper compares three internationally representative regulatory frameworks for pesticides. We look first at the USA, which shifted regulatory powers from the US Department of Agriculture to the Environmental Protection Agency in the early 1970s, during a historical transition from a predominantly economic to a predominantly social regulatory model. The second country is Brazil, currently the world’s largest consumer of pesticides, followed by the USA in second place. In the early 1990s, Brazil’s new regulatory model adopted a troika of decision-making ministries (agriculture, health and environment), with the prevalence of economic over social-environmental interests. The third case is the regulatory framework adopted in 2011 by the EU, where shifts in risk-assessment criteria and corporate financial liability reveal a prevalence of concerns involving social-environmental regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Vigorous debates have taken place within and between many countries about regulatory policy regimes covering the assessment and approval of genetically modified (GM) crops. In Iran, a very vigorous and hotly contested policy debate concerning legislation covering GM crops occurred between 2004 and 2009, but it was confined within government circles with almost no public discussion. This paper analyses the Iranian policy-making process in the period 2006–9. It explains how and why a stalemate arose in disputes between ministries and departments. The chosen analytical framework draws mainly on the regulation of technological risks and the analysis of public policy-making. It deploys the concept of ‘framing assumptions’ as a central unit of analysis. The account locates the roots of disputes in the diverse and contested sets of framing assumptions used by the various ministries and organisations. It also explains the legislative outcome and its portrayal by reference to the political authority of science. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Drawing on the institutional analysis and development framework, this paper explores the likely influence of socio-economic issues on the processing of the application for the authorization for genetically modified wheat by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in the period 2002–4. As an attempt to explain why the CFIA regulators asked for additional environmental data relating to the unconfined release of this crop, and refrained from making a regulatory decision, this analysis focuses on the interaction between the rules that frame the formal approval process and the involvement of various actors in a lively social debate. It argues that the flexibility provided by the regulatory decision-making process, combined with the socio-economic issues that were forcefully raised by interest groups, academics and parliamentary committees, created a distorted regulatory landscape that led regulators to further scrutinize the environmental impacts of this seed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Communications from scientists and engineers indicate concern about the potential for public aversion to nanotechnologies. Recommendations that policy dialogues occur early and often as public perceptions emerge have followed, and multiple surveys indicate high benefit ratings. This paper explores instead the mobile and conditional quality of current perceptions of the risks and benefits of nanotechnologies, and of judgments of trust in regulation. Drawing from a nationally representative phone survey of 1,100 US residents, we found that presenting risk information after benefit information had a significant impact on acceptability ratings as compared to the reverse order. Trust judgments were also mobile, and interacted with affective predispositions towards nanotechnologies. Overall, for policy purposes and dialogues, we find high attitudinal uncertainty suggesting considerable openness to context-specific considerations as linked to acceptability of new technologies. We also caution against over promotion of benefits and an avoidance of appropriate risk discussions in the short term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the past decade, EU research policy has become more central to the EU's political ambitions and its instruments are expanding in scale and scope. Recently there has been mounting apprehension over the EU's R&D efforts, such as the Framework Programmes, and their adequacies in meeting European and global 'grand challenges'. How European-level and national research efforts interact is a key condition for enhancing Europe's research competitiveness and responsiveness. This paper presents data from Norway indicating that the R&D institutions adapt to European-level priorities directly, whereas the national authorities have a limited impact on the country's European research portfolio. It points to a need for thorough analysis of national path-dependencies, and how the nation states organise and coordinate their participation in European programmes, specifically for facing present and future 'grand challenges'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sweden's consumption of transport ethanol has given the country a specific biofuel profile in Europe. In recent commentary, Sweden is either depicted as an environmental role model, or figures as a cautionary tale of things going wrong. In both cases, science plays a central role in how this success, or failure, has been achieved. Drawing on the insight that science and policy are highly interwoven, this paper identifies different, co-existing and sometimes conflicting, science--policy frameworks. It sets out to shed some light on the complexities of science--policy interactions in the biofuel case and argues that one needs to ask which science is relevant for which policy choice, to be aware that lack of scientific certainty carries different weight in different political situations and to recognise that high decision-stakes entail value plurality, also within scientific circles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper develops a comparative framework for biotechnology policy analysis based on work by Paarlberg, Haga and Willard, and Isaac and applies this framework to help understand the evolution and differences in the regulatory regimes related to agri-food genomic innovations found in six countries: Italy, Spain, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the US. Applying this framework to the six cases shows that these governments have fostered different types of regulatory regimes over the last quarter century that are closely connected with the manner in which governments have pursued either promotional or precautionary orientations towards new technologies; and second whether regulatory policy-making has been driven by state or public actors and interests. The implications of these findings for the study of biotechnology, and especially genomics-related matters, regulation and policy-making are then discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the approach adopted to carry out a techno-economic foresight on the creative content industries, within the European Perspectives on the Information Society project. The novelty of the methodology lies in the mix of tools used, the embedding in an adaptive foresight framework and the implementation of a real-time Delphi which lead to interesting methodological lessons. The project succeeded in defining scenarios for the creative content industries, offering distinct trajectories and raising different policy challenges. The impact of the foresight on policy was limited, as it did not lead to direct policy measures, nevertheless, it confirmed some issues of major importance to the various stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The history of attention to local variation in science and technology studies notwithstanding, there is a growing emphasis in the study of science policy on global convergence. In this paper, we undertake a multi-state comparative study of agricultural biotechnology policies, illustrating the continuing value of attending to policy variation and the factors that mold it. We acknowledge the growing influence of supranational entities and transnational cultural exchanges in shaping policy. However, our research does not indicate the homogenization of agricultural biotechnology policies across the globe. Instead, we find three broad models of agricultural biotechnology governance: 'liberal science-based' regulation, 'precautionary science-based' regulation, and 'social values-based' regulation. While states are constrained by global and local factors, they actively shape policies by blending parts of these three policy models in distinct ways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent decades, the roles of government have changed greatly and consequently systems of national planning have also changed. Governments still have roles but they must play soft roles and therefore, they need new tools for these new roles. This paper proposes a model to make it possible to establish which actions needs to be planned at the national level (particularly for science and technology development) by compounding three government roles (providing policy intelligence, making policy decisions and policy implementation) with four tools (direct intervention, regulations, offering incentives and promotion). The National Iranian Nanotechnology Initiative is used as a case study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing commercialisation of products containing nanomaterials has been accompanied by growing societal concerns. These concerns have underpinned a debate over the degree to which governments should specifically 'govern' or regulate nanotechnology. This paper examines the way in which the private sector is developing innovative regulatory arrangements for nanotechnology. It commences with a theoretical review of potential regulatory tools, and then discusses how two multinational companies are developing their own regulatory mechanisms to guide the responsible development of nanotechnology. It concludes that whilst governments will no doubt play a crucial role in the regulation of the technology, nano-specific state-based regulation will probably only constitute part of an evolving regulatory web. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]