Translating Transformative Innovation Framework in Colombia

This article analyzes the transfer process of the transformative innovation policy (TIP) framework in Colombia and the translation process carried out by Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) policy actors, emphasizing the implications of this process for governance. Using the Colombian Green Book 2030 case study and its regional implementation, the article examines how the TIP framework has been adopted by stakeholders and reinterpreted in peripheral contexts. A qualitative study with an interpretive approach was conducted based on 30 semi-structured interviews with individuals involved in the analyzed transfer process, as well as observations and document reviews. The findings suggest that institutional inertia has influenced the appropriation of the TIP framework in Colombia, leading to its association with prior social innovation experiences that align with some of the framework's characteristics. This includes participation and the inclusion of local actors. The framework was reinterpreted to address specific local issues through niche configurations rather than destabilizing socio-technical regimes. This frames transformative change within policy instruments designed under a bottom-up model. Nevertheless, the territorial level has emerged as a key space for TIP experimentation, offering opportunities to explore other STI applications oriented toward social concerns. The study concludes that transferring the transformative framework provides an opportunity to reconsider STI policy governance.