Building a Sustainable Knowledge Infrastructure on Transformative Innovation Policy (TIP)
Organised by Eu-SPRI and TIPC and featuring global innovation and development agencies such as OECD and NESTA, the Transformative Innovation Policy (TIP) Conference 2022 took place in January. The innovative online format brought together researchers, policymakers and practitioners for five days of interaction, learning, network-building, agenda-setting and action on TIP research, policy and projects. The digital conference oriented around research and experimentation for projects and programmes that create the change required to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in both the Global North and Global South to achieve sustainability in systems of provision globally.
TIPC Academic Director and Founder, Professor Johan Schot reflected:
“The rich and deep interactions during the TIP Conference clearly showed the huge potential for building a knowledge infrastructure that works for action research, bringing together practitioners and scholars working on Transformative Innovation Policy. It is time to scale our fragmented efforts in order to address the Sustainable Development Goals. Leadership for such an infrastructure will come from both the Global South and Global North.”
TIP Conference Academic Director, Diana Velasco said:
“The 2022 TIP Conference was a significant milestone in building a sustainable and inclusive knowledge infrastructure for systemic transformation pathways. As a community of learning and practice, we have expanded our networks, insights and ideas. It was great to see the global interaction on the digital platform with 800 registered from over 60 countries. It is up to us all to keep the conversations and learning ongoing in our organisations and networks. Let’s keep the momentum, from our diverse community, to enhance more Transformative Innovation Policy experimental engagements to see the change we need for true system and societal transformations.”
The conference took an experimental approach, to part ways with traditional academic conferences. It offered new types of interactive panels, investment opportunities for research projects, themed networking sessions, daily learning seminars and, of course, happened online to allow access from across the globe. To ensure participation and contribution from the Global South, the conference was supported by donations and research funding from members and networks involved.
As SPRU Research Fellow and delegate, Claudia E. Obando R. tweeted:
“Delighted to see (the TIP Conference) moving forward to an online conference, that is not based on papers, doesn’t charge a fee to participants and is inclusive to different time zones across the globe. Huge congratulations to the organisers!”
Fellow organiser and co-chair, with Professor Schot, of the scientific committee, Mattias Weber said:
“The TIP Conference demonstrated the benefits of experimenting with new formats of interaction between research and practice and enabled an intense dialogue between participants from all over the world. It showcased new and promising ways of how TIP can be designed and implemented. The challenge is now to strengthen our knowledge base, networks and infrastructures to enable mutual learning and consolidate our community.”
Reflection and deep learning are a key aspect of the TIP approach and its methodology to move towards systems transformations. Each day of the conference featured interactive sessions to achieve a learning space for delegates to be present in their insight and behaviour change process and to share experiences. These sessions were among the richest. One participant concluded:
“The insights, richness of discussion, and the (learning) results are amazing. My favourite plenary of the conference was the learning one.”
All sessions were recorded and can be found online, either via the conference programme, or directly on the TIPC Youtube channel.