The politics of missions: a gloomy perspective

Abstract This article discusses the so far understudied role of politics in the development of transformative innovation policies (TIPs) and mission-oriented innovation policies (MOIPs). The topic is explored through four dimensions foreshadowing critical bottlenecks and obstacles which are somewhat neglected by the current scholarly discussion around TIPs and MOIPs. The first dimension concerns the relationship to the historical time of different political visions, affecting their inclination towards the transformative ambition of TIPs and MOIPs. The second pertains to the exercise of power and its relation to TIPs and MOIPs’ emphasis on distributed agency and participation. The third addresses the capacity to deliver policy changes, a key precondition for TIPs and MOIPs. Finally, the fourth dimension relates to how political systems deal with diverse values and beliefs, essential for the experimental nature of TIPs and MOIPs. The article concludes that the current trend towards conservatism, centralization, and political polarization in many advanced economies challenges the effective adoption and deployment of TIPs and MOIPs.