Research |
Research:
The Program
| Governing Transformative Innovation |
| Program Specifics: |
| Objectives |
| This research program examines the complex world of governing transformative innovation. The international economy, particularly the global agri-food sector, is increasingly being changed by convergent, transformative technologies—i.e. those that draw on different epistemic bases of cutting-edge science; represent step-changes in the scale and direction of development of human capabilities; have consequences distributed widely over many areas of life; are of sufficiently high profile to attract the attention, interest and risk perception of social movements, citizens, politicians and regulators; precipitate public debate and the interest of journalists and ethicists; and are within a few years or at most a decade of realization. Complicating matters, these technologies are embedded in waves of interlocking innovation processes. Firms, regulators and social action groups are frequently involved in projects related to different waves of discovery or, within a single wave of discovery, in several sub-projects that spread over different phases of research. This type of innovation poses a number of challenges for existing governing systems: it often involves ill defined and unpredictable evolution which is difficult to measure or track; it generates large potential externalities (+/-); it often involves large realms of pure uncertainty (unknown/ unknowns); many of the relevant market structures are absent; and much of the governing space is contested by competing actors. A distributed system
of governing arrangements has emerged, dispersing power over a wide
variety of actors and groups within the state, market and collective
action sectors (Paquet, 2001). Each actor has areas of competence, which
is often bounded by the authority of others. The small world properties
of these simple, distributed governing systems may produce complex,
often non-linear, results. What appear to be appropriate and actionable
policies can at times lead to counter intuitive results and unintended
consequences.
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Studies |
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2006-2010: Principal Investigator, Genome Alberta GE3LS Project on Translating Knowledge in Health Systems: Project 3.6: To investigate the public, private and collective systems governing knowledge translation that can support both public (health and safety regulations, peer review processes) and commercial (IP, marketing) knowledge translation in the health system. Peter W.B. Phillips, Ph.D. : Professor of Political Studies 2006-2009: Principal Investigator, Genome Alberta project on Designing Oilseeds for Tomorrow, which focuses on reducing the seed coat thickness in canola so canola meal can be more easily digested by livestock. As well, the same project looks at reducing certain anti nutritional factors present in the canola meal, and represents a comprehensive and strategically based functional genomics dissection of Brassica seed meal quality. There are several anticipated additional economic and social benefits from the proposed investment. |
| Research Team |
Rebecca Crookshanks : Program Manager Stuart
Smyth, Ph.D: Research Associate, University of Saskatchewan Jeremy Karwandy: M.Sc. Candidate, Interdisciplinary Studies Simbo
Olubobokun: Ph.D. Candidate, Interdisciplinary Studies Roxanne Kaminski: M.Sc. Candidate, Interdisciplinary Studies |
| Collaborators |
| Dr. Edna Einsiedel,
Faculty of Communication and Culture |