Analysing the prospects for place-based micro-missions: the role of challenge complexity and regional capacity

Abstract Mission-oriented innovation policies have come to the forefront of debates in both research and policymaking. While attention has focused on top-down, science, technology and innovation missions, research has increasingly begun to explore their spatial and societal dimensions. The concept of micro-missions has been advanced to highlight the potential for smaller-scale, place-based responses to societal challenges. This paper explores the role of capacity to mobilise and challenge complexity in such missions and highlights the diversity of models for their design. A conceptual framework is advanced and tested with the case of public food micro-missions in Malmö, and strategic implications are identified.