Transforming Innovation Systems: On Missions, Challenges, and Dedication
ABSTRACT Amid escalating global crises and growing demands for sustainability transitions, innovation systems (IS) research has undergone a “normative turn,” shifting the focus of research toward addressing complex societal challenges. This paper compares three approaches that have emerged in response to this shift: Dedicated Innovation Systems (DIS), Mission‐Oriented Innovation Systems (MIS), and Challenge‐Oriented Regional Innovation Systems (CORIS). We argue that comparing these perspectives can foster a more coherent and actionable understanding of how IS can contribute to the necessary transformations at multiple scales and reduce conceptual fragmentation. Through a collaborative, reflexive methodology including expert workshops and literature analysis, we explore the background and motivation, system description, system outcomes, system processes, and system governance regimes discussed in each perspective. Our comparative framework highlights important overlaps and differences and identifies opportunities for cross‐fertilization and further research. In summary, our comparison contributes to ongoing debates about the normative dimension and the directionality of IS at the intersection of science, technology, and innovation policy, sustainability transitions, and transformations research.
Authors
- Maximilian Benner (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1386-808X)
- Michaela Trippl (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9779-4836)
- S. Philipps
- Lea F. Stöber (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8240-5746)
- Artem Korzhenevych (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3835-9372)
- Andreas Pyka (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6207-6690)
- Remi Elzinga
- Joeri Hendrik Wesseling (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4648-5640)
- Simona O. Negro (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8532-0825)
- Michael P. Schlaile (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9269-0306)
- Matthias M. Müller (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8213-0447)
Institutions
- University of Hohenheim (DE)
- University of Insubria (IT)
- University of Vienna (AT)
- Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (NL)
- Koblenz University of Applied Sciences (DE)
- Utrecht University (NL)
- Türkisch-Deutsche Universität (TR)
- Institute of Geography (KZ)
- Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (DE)
- Leibniz Institute of Ecological Urban and Regional Development (DE)
- Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft Dresden – University of Applied Sciences (DE)
- University of Göttingen (DE)
- Technische Universität Dresden (DE)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Canadian Journal of Administrative Sciences / Revue Canadienne des Sciences de l Administration
- Published
- 2026-04-17
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/cjas.70063
- Citations
- 1
- Primary Topic
- Sustainability and Climate Change Governance
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 19.95
Funders
- Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
- Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung
- HORIZON EUROPE Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment