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The management of technology is increasingly fuelled by societal challenges and user problems. For effective technology development and implementation, it is important that both are relevant not only in the present, but also in the future. Technological development and implementation take time which means that a technology originally meant to address a particular societal challenge, may be no longer relevant at the time it is implemented because the challenge or problem may no longer exist. We call this 'future technology myopia'. This myopia implies that while analysing the possible future development of a technology, sufficient vigilance should be given to the persistence of i). the technical challenge and ii). the development of the societal problem, and of alternative ways to deal with both. In view of the increasing interdependence between technology and society, broadening the technology management and analysis is therefore relevant for the effective development of technology to address future societal and user problems and for developing relevant strategic technology policies. In this paper we develop a Technology Management Ailment Matrix that identifies imbalances that might arise during the technology development process. It enables firms to identify and compare different technology management ailments collectively; it also identifies a further new ailment: future technology myopia. • Future Technology Myopia (FTM) states that in technology development, too little attention is paid to changing social issues • FTM is a valuable addition to existing ailments such as 'not-invented-her' and the 'innovator's dilemma'- One condition for FTM is that technology takes much time to develop • One strategy to deal with FTM is to broadly explore possible technologies that are potentially capable of addressing a societal issue [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Universities are increasingly seen as institutions which anticipate and address the challenges induced by interactions within the Knowledge Triangle (KT). The interactions between actors in the KT force individual agents to adjust and refine their models of operation and provide targeted output which supports the activities of other agents. Among companies, we saw the emergence of the open innovation concept which stresses the will of companies to cooperate in innovation. At the same time, the scientific community is increasingly challenged by open access to research findings and by online learning courses. These two recent developments are among the most important that were significantly initiated by gatekeepers, themselves especially important actors within the KT because they possess the power to orchestrate and direct the linkages between KT actors. Until recently, the role of gatekeepers within the KT has been little analysed. The paper suggests that understanding the role and characteristics of gatekeepers is essential for substantial and sustainable interactions between KT agents and the fulfilment of the Third Mission of universities. Therefore, the linkages go beyond purely knowledge and technology transfer linkages but rather show how gatekeepers influence competency-building for delivering information and technologies to other organizations and enhancing institutions' absorptive capacity which is argued to be crucial for implementing effective, targeted, and productive interactions of universities. It is argued that universities need to be aware of gatekeepers' competences and powers well in advance to make use of knowledge exchange with other parties to shape society. In addition, it is argued that universities' skill base – as shown in researchers' competences – is a vital element of universities' intellectual capital which should be included in universities' performance evaluation frameworks. Finally, the paper argues that it is important for policy making in science, technology and innovation to possess knowledge of gatekeepers' position in the KT to enhance collaboration between KT agents and provide research institutions, namely universities, with the competences needed to vitalize the universities' ‘Third Mission’. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mission-oriented innovation policy is currently gaining renewed interest as an approach for addressing societal challenges. One of the promises is that missions can mobilise and align diverse stakeholders around a shared goal. Recent literature underlines the importance of public participation (e.g. municipalities and civil society organisations) in the socioeconomic transformations required for attaining missions. We ask how public participation differs among (non-)mission-oriented innovation projects. Drawing on a database containing Dutch government-funded innovation projects, we investigate whether mission-oriented projects are associated with earlier , more open , and more influential forms of public participation than conventional projects. Although the results suggest that mission-oriented projects indeed correspond with earlier participation of more public actors, we find little evidence that they also coincide with increased diversity and financial influence of public participants. We conclude by discussing how policymakers and intermediaries may engage in strategies to make missions more inclusive. • Missions are seen as an instrument to unite stakeholders behind a shared goal. • We ask how public participation differs between (non-)mission-oriented projects. • Mission-oriented projects correspond with earlier participation of more public actors. • Mission-oriented projects rarely correspond with more diverse and influential public participants. • Systemic innovation intermediaries can in some cases encourage public participation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Future sustainable energy systems strongly rely on new renewable energies. Wind energy production has become an interesting option for alpine regions. In addition to grid reliability, public acceptance is an important factor that currently limits wind energy's market penetration. An interdisciplinary research team explored, through socio-economic and technical approaches, the current and future acceptance of wind energy production in the Swiss energy region of Goms, an alpine valley at 1300 m above sea level. The focus of this paper is on research questions comprising future societal challenges for the local population. For this purpose, the focus-group discussion has proven to be a valuable participatory method. Concerning future development of wind energy in the Alps, regional value creation (including workplaces) and the placement of systems where man-made infrastructure is already present were the main visions mentioned by workshop participants. So far, wind energy as implemented in the valley of Goms has not been perceived as a topic of conflict by the local community. Crucial components towards local acceptance of wind turbines are questions of aesthetics, technical performance and economic feasibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Policy makers steer innovation via key enabling technologies and innovation missions. • These topics might link geographically and cognitively disparate sets of capabilities. • We study whether such boundary spanning happens in pre-commercial R&D collaboration. • Some key enabling technologies types do alleviate cognitive proximity constraints. • The reverse is found for the energy transition and sustainability mission theme. Two main targets of contemporary preferential innovation policy support, especially in Europe, are key enabling technologies (KETs) and innovation 'missions' focused on solving societal challenges. Both topics are associated with uniting disparate sets of capabilities, either by driving technology-based innovation into various application domains or by eliciting interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral solutions to urgent societal demands. In this study we assess to what extent pre-commercial R&D collaborations span geographic and cognitive boundaries. We analyze firm-level tie formation in Dutch collaborative R&D projects initiated in the period 2013–2018. Gravity models reveal that, while results for geographic proximity are mixed, some KET types are indeed related to projects in which cognitive proximity is significantly less relevant for tie formation. This contrasts with the findings for projects that retroactively received a mission label. Projects on health and care missions, and especially energy transition and sustainability missions, instead spur collaborations between cognitively proximate firms. The latter suggests that without additional policy intervention, such projects might interconnect similar rather than dissimilar knowledge bases. We conclude by discussing research and policy implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]