In the last couple of years, European science and innovation systems have been challenged by at least two major developments. First, R&I funding is increasingly designed with a view to support societal missions or system transformations. Second, COVID-19 has demonstrated the importance of resilience of science and innovation systems and has questioned hitherto long held views of openness and division of labour in the development of knowledge and innovation.
This year’s edition of European’s largest R&I policy evaluation conference will respond to those challenges. While primarily asking for conceptual and methodological advances in the field of R&I policy evaluation in its broadest sense, a strong focus this year will be to share and discuss conceptual approaches and experiences to assess and measure the relevance and effectiveness of new R&I policy responses which aim to contribute to transformation and resilience. This is especially important – and challenging – as such R&I policies are mostly still at experimental stage.
There is thus great uncertainty about which R&I interventions will work how and which rebound effects they may trigger. A clear instrumental toolbox is currently not in sight. These developments also challenge the field of evaluation: new policy questions require new evaluative approaches, new methods and new indicators, for which data are often very difficult to collect.
Also the COVID-19 crisis has challenged R&I policy even beyond the urgency of providing innovative vaccination, medicine and health-care. System complexity, availability of (reliable) data, and an unprecedented public attention to science, scientific conduct and science communication versus conspiracy have become issues. Thus, the conference gives also floor to first assessments on changed R&I practices and interventions caused by the COVID-19 crisis. The conference will engage up to 200 participants from all over Europe and beyond. It will gather academics, evaluators, research managers, R&I policy makers, R&I councils and funding agencies to share methodological advances in R&I policy evaluation and to debate new R&I policies and their implications for evaluation theory and practice.
The conference is organised by
- Austrian Platform for Research and Technology Policy Evaluation
- Fraunhofer ISI – Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research
- IFRIS – Institut Francilien Recherche, Innovation et Société, Paris
Meet our teams: These are the renowned members our Scientific Committee and the Local Organising Commitee.
For travel and logistics, please visit the Venue section of our website to receive recommendations for accommodation and general information about Vienna.
Depending on the prevailing circumstances, it is planned to hold the conference physically. Precautions are taken to protect against infection with COVID-19 and high hygiene and safety standards are in place. For more details please read our page on COVID-19 precautions.
We are looking forward to seeing you in Vienna!
