STEM Innovation System in Public Policy

As Taught in:

2017/2018

Level:

undergraduate

Learning Resources:

=> Lectures Presentation

=> Lecture Notes

=> Selected Video Supports

Course Overview:

This course focuses on Research – especially in Physics – Technology, Education, and Manufacturing – industry and health sectors, with an emphasis on public policy and the private organization role in that system.

Course Description:

Innovation and accompanying science and technology are now seen to have a profound connection not only to our industry and daily life, but also to the society’s economic growth and its corresponding ability to generate societal wellbeing and solve societal challenges – and these economic and societal issues are deeply interrelated.

In this course we will examine the science and technology innovation system, including case studies on energy, computing, advanced manufacturing, and health sectors, with an emphasis on public policy and the private organization’s role in that system. It will review the foundations of economic growth theory, innovation systems theory and innovation organization, and the basic approaches to science and technology policy, building toward a sophisticated understanding of these areas. The course will review a theory of direct and indirect economic factors in the innovation system, note the innovation-based competitive and advanced manufacturing challenges now facing the world economy, review comparative efforts in every nations, learning the varied models for how science and technology mission are organized, and examine the growth of public-private partnership models as a way for science mission agencies to pursue agendas.

Emphasis will also be placed on examining the organization and role of advance manufacturing science and technology innovation and gaps in the health, manufacturer, education, and advanced efficiency production innovation economic models, as well as related innovation systems policy issues. The course will close with an examination of the science and technology talent base as a factor in growth and the education approaches that support it, and a discussion of the future of jobs and employment given increasing automation.

Course Learning Outcomes:

Learner will emerge from the course with a strong grasp of the fundamentals of innovation systems and the economic and technological development factors behind them, and with a clear framework to approach science and technology policymaking. Learner will understand the basics of innovation-based economic growth theory, and also take an in-depth look at the innovation systems in society and environment.

More specifically, learner will develop an understanding of the following innovation policy areas:

• The wheel behind science and technology support, including economic growth theory, direct and indirect innovation factors, waves, innovation systems theory, the valley of challenge between research, development and business, and public-private partnership models.
• The organizing framework behind World Science, their missions and research organizational models, and the scientific model as an alternative.
• The upcoming competitiveness challenge in advanced production technologies, including global innovation models.
• The organization of innovation at both the institutional and personal, face-to-face levels.
• Challenges in the energy, computing, and health innovation systems and within legacy economic sectors in general.
• Key issues in the science and engineering talent base and education system and pending employment and productivity issues.

Given the challenges to future federal science support, this course will aim to equip those with interest in, or contemplating careers that could involve, science and technology issues or economic development, including in entrepreneurship, business, academic, non-profit organizations, health, and energy areas, with the basic background for involvement in these policy areas. Learners by the end of the course will be able to effectively understand the elements, organize key ideas, and present the foundational framework and policy concepts in these innovation, science, and technology fields.

Grading:

Research Paper – 80%

Discussion – 10%

Assignment – 10%

There will be no exam, but one-page summaries of readings/video for each chapter are required to ensure you are keeping up with the course concepts and context to your “Research Paper.” Aside from the required research project and paper, this course is in significant part a discussion seminar where active, informed, thoughtful, and constructive class participation is a part of the assessment criteria for the course. Learners are expected to attend all chapters and to be fully prepared to engage in a critical review of the readings and video in each chapters; the required short issue summaries for class readings will greatly assist in that class discussion.

Class Discussion Time:

The course will be run as a single reading with an emphasis on class discussion.

Significant time for learner participation and discussions will be built into each chapters. Learner will be expected to read the articles or reading listed for each chapters. All learners for each chapter will email and response to one another at least a day in advance to the educator and learner discussion forum, a one-page summary in “bullet-point” outline form of all the readings for that chapters. This summary should list three or four key points about each reading and below that list two or three or more key questions about each reading and video. In addition, particular learner, rotating around the chapters, using the learners’ one-page summaries, will get asked to lead class Q&A discussion on the readings for each chapters – so each chapter will have one or two learner discussion leaders.

Starting with the first chapter, please submit your one-page reading summaries emailed to me in advance of class; I will go over the discussion leader system at the first chapter and name initial discussion leaders, starting with the second chapter. So starting with the second chapter, please post your reading and watching summaries to group discussion and to my email. The discussion leaders will use your questions in leading the class discussions of the “Reading Tab.”

The content of this course have five major unit and several minor unit.

A. Economic Growth Theory and the System in Innovation

1. Economic Growth Theory and the Direct Elements in Innovation

2. Innovation Systems and Direct/Indirect Elements in the Innovation Ecosystem

B. Challenges Facing the World Economy

3. The Competitive Challenge to World Advanced Manufacturing

4. The Challenge from Globalization for Advanced Manufacturing and New Services

C. Private Sector Roles in the Innovation System

5. The Innovation System at the Institutional Level: The Organization of Private Science Support

6. Crossing the challenge between research, development and businesses: the public-private partnership approach

7. The Organization of Innovation Systems at the Face-to-Face Level

8. Research Connected Model in the Innovation System – Sector Interaction and the Example of Digitalization

D. The Life Science and Energy Innovation Systems

9. The Life Science R & D Model

10. The Challenge of Educational Technology Transformation

E. Improving the Innovation System from the Talent Base

11. Improving the Talent Base

12. The Future of Work in Productivity

One-Page Reading and Watching Summaries

Significant time for learner participation ad discussion will be built into each chapter. Learner will be expected to read the articles or chapters or watching a video listed for each chapter, as listed under “Topics & Readings”. All leaders for each chapter will email at least a day in advance to the educator and learner discussion leaders, a one-page summary in bullet-point outline form of all the readings for that chapters – please write down your name, date, and time number on the top. This summary should list minimum three or four key points about each reading and watching, and below that list two or three key questions about each readings and watching.

In addition, particular learners, rotating around the class, using the learners’ one-page summaries, will be asked to lead class Q&A discussion on the readings for each chapters – so each chapter will have one or two student discussion leaders. Starting with the first class, please submit your one-page reading summaries emailed to the instructor in advance of class; the educator will go over the discussion leader system at the first class and name initial discussion leaders, starting with the second class. So starting with the second class, please email your reading summaries to both the educator and discussion leaders. The discussion leaders will use your questions in leading the class discussions of the reading.

Discussion

In this discussion section, you are expected to participate often and engage in deep levels of discourse. Please post your initial response as early in the chapter as possible and continue to participate throughout the chapter. You are required to post an initial response to the question/issue presented in the Chapter and then respond to at least 3 of your peers initial posts. You should also respond to anyone who has responded to you. Finally, do not forget to sent to your educator and your discussion leader for your context.

Research Paper

The course reach to the goal by learner providing a major research paper. The paper must be approximately 12 single-spaced pages, combine considerations of business, science, and technology with social sciences approaches, particularly focused on innovation policy, and consist of an inquiry based on original research. In the paper, learner should make extensive use of the innovation systems framework we learned and applied in life. The paper should include an international dimension, or be applicable to an international or global problem. The paper should go beyond a summary or synthesis of the literature by arguing for an original theme, thesis, and argument based on well-thought-out argumentative points based on evidence. Analysis of some primary sources is an important aspect of the paper. Like original interviews but also potential surveys, archival records, or other primary source information. Once applicable, quantitative data analysis like statistical analysis of existing data collected by the learner.

The content of the writing about:

1. a particular international innovation agency, sub-agency, or institution, new or established (such as NCATS program at NIGH, or the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) at Department of Energy or the new Manufacturing Institutes program, or the new Biological Technologies Office. The paper would then examine this institution’s place in the innovation system and it’s effectiveness in promoting technology advances, elaborating on its national and technology innovation system context.
2. A highly innovative firm in every nation policy. Like First Solar, Solar Cities, or Genentech in the US or Vestas in Denmark and its key innovation, placing it in its overall technology innovation system context.
3. A particular sector of emerging innovation technology. From solar photovoltaics, photonics, genome-based medicine, or next generation energy, and then explore the steps by which that technology might emerge at scale, in your own original country, and internationally. Such an examination would include the R&D support, incentives and regulatory requirements that may be required.
4. An innovation area it is strong in. Such as energy, biotechnology, or advanced manufacturing, and examine the innovation area, the institutions in, and elements of the innovation system for that national sector (including technology “push” or support for R & D and the front-end of the innovation process, and market “Pull” or strategies to create demand for technology implementation and the back-end of the innovation process).

All papers should include a national and international innovation perspective for the technology involved, discuss the key technologies evolving from the entity or group, and discuss issues directly related to the subjects and areas covered in this course, systematically applying the innovation systems framework used in class. The paper must examine front- and back-end innovation elements, and relevant innovation design models, from pipeline through innovation organization. The outline and final paper should make frequent use of headings following an outline-type format, to assist the reader. Footnotes and a bibliography listing primary, secondary, and original sources must be included, in both the paper outline and final paper.

Structuring and Organizing Your Paper:

• Single-space your paper, follow an outline type format, inserting frequent headings in outline format that help the reader follow your points, as noted above.
• Use footnotes to cite your sources for your findings.
• Include a list of the references (including in footnotes) at the back of your paper.
• If at all possible, as part of the original research aspect for the paper, speak by phone or in person to someone fluent with or who works in the technology or sector you identify or for your company or agency or nation. Include references and footnotes to these discussions.

Below are recommendations for a logical organizational paper work for your research paper on one of many topics you will writing. Educator strongly suggest as background for framing your discussions you read over chapters 02, 04, 05, 11, 12, and 14 in the courses text, Technological Innovation in Legacy Sectors. Chapter 06 through 08, and 10 may also can be consider as they are provide ideas on possible technology sectors to write about.

1. Introduction. Clearly and specifically set out the paper topic and basic issues you will cover. Introduce and summarize point by point your key findings up front in the introduction. Writer need a clear thesis for your paper stated right at the close of your introduction.
2. Technology Overview. Provide an overview of writer technology or writer entity’s technology strand that writer are focusing on, or nation’s technology program. Discuss where this technology stand now in both R&D stage and technology implementation? Where does it need to go, what are the critical technology challenges for your technology strand to advance?
3. Innovation Organization. Review how the innovation system is organized for your technology or your entity’s or nation’s technology strand. Who are the major innovation actors? The innovation system, of course, includes the firms, not only the government support role. Explore the firms in this technology sector and the leading firms that make it up, who are the technology leaders and what progress are they making to commercialize at scale, with what barriers? Also, where relevant and it at all possible – create comparison from technology efforts with what success. What is the picture for international competition, what other nations/firms are making advances in this technology area that will affect your agency/firm?
4. Matching Launch Paths to Policy Packages. Writer will need to set out the cost structure for your technology or your entity technology against other competing technologies, and explore how far your technology is coming down the cost curve and how fast. Also, you need to examine the cost of the technology not only at the production stage but the installed cost, and see if there are ways to drive down the latter and through what mechanisms. The pattern of existing governmental interventions, like tax incentives for renewables. In addition, put the economics discussion into the review of the existing innovation system and its strengths and weaknesses, with he economics as a key to the tech evolution. To be noted, if you are writing about an agency, or a tech focus, in a nation consider whether the agency or focus is more directed to breakthrough technologies than support for incremental advance at existing firms; ask what other support elements may need to come to bear. For example if it is an energy agency, what part of DOE is at work here, would EERE or an applied DOE agency likely be needed for your support in your technology area? 
5. Identifying Institutional Gaps. Summarize in this section the innovation system institutional and policy gaps, and this includes discussion of the gaps on both the front-end and back-end of the emerging innovation system you are reviewing. A summary of various agency programmatic elements and funding that could help your technology or commercial entity would be useful here. If you selected an agency, spell out its menu of technology support.
6. Proposed Policies. Summarize the federal, national, and other policies that may be needed here for public or private entities or sectors or nations. The nations are in a difficult budget climate, make your policies politically realistic, not extravagant or unrealistically ambitious.
7. Conclusion. A strong and detailed conclusion is needed that recapitulates each of your key points and answers your thesis questions.
8. Bibliography. You should insert both footnotes in the text and a bibliography listing reference source at the close.