There is a growing need for science, technology and innovation (STI) to address economic and societal problems such as sustainable growth and global warming. Many countries have been trying to find ways to design more effective and efficient STI policy to support innovation.

In Europe, the Science and Technology Policy Research Unit (SPRU) at Sussex University and the former Policy Research in Engineering, Science and Technology (PREST) at Manchester University have been taking leading roles in research on science, technology and innovation policy. In recent years, new institutions for STI policy research and education have been established in the Netherlands, Italy and Scandinavian countries. In the U.S., STI policy studies have been conducted in various disciplines (e.g., economics, political science, and sociology). Though these studies and activities are loosely related, most of them have been conducted in a rather fragmented way. 

However, since the former science advisor to the President of the United States, Dr. John H. Marburger III, advocated the need to establish the Science of Science Policy (SOSP) in 2005, various initiatives to promote research and to bridge research and practice in this interdisciplinary field have been started, including the launch of the Science of Science and Innovation Policy (SciSIP) program of the National Science Foundation and a multi-agency venture called STARMETRICS (Science and Technology for America’s Reinvestment: Measuring the Effect of Research on Innovation, Competitiveness and Science).

These efforts are not limited to European countries and the United States. In Asian countries, there is also a growing need for effective STI policy based on research-derived evidence and for human resources capable of designing effective evidence-based STI policy.

In concordance with this movement, in 2011, Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology launched the Science for Re-designing Science, Technology and Innovation Policy (SciREX) program. Under this program, five institutions were nominated to conduct STI policy research and education. We expect that the forerunners’ experiences in promoting STI policy research and utilizing the research results for actual policy design and implementation will give us valuable insights into how to develop STI policy research strategy and education programs at these and other related institutions.

This symposium will focus on the trends in STI policy research and their implications for policy. Invited lecturers and panelists will share their views and ideas on trends in and future directions of STI policy research. Key questions are as follows.

1)What are the most important lessons learned from past STI policy research?

2)How have these research results contributed to STI policy and policy-making processes?

3)What is the most desirable relationship between STI policy research and actual policy-making processes?

4)What direction should STI research take to promote effective policy making?