Essay Topic
What is the character of contemporary innovation policy in the UK? you should pay particular attention to the sources of funding, how the funding is distributed, how incentives for innovation are formulated and implemented, what advice is sought, and who manages these processes.
This essay should include
- identify the government departments/ministries that shape public policy on innovation;
- look at their latest flagship policies, collecting also working papers, white papers, etc, linked to the conception and implementation of those policies;
- look up criticisms, by opposition parties, by media pundits, by research organisations and think tanks, by business and labour organisations;
- (you do not need to compare it with other countries, but you can if you wish)
- after making notes of what you find, contrast those findings with the discussions in the module in terms of the key themes of: sources of funding, allocation of funds, management practices, priorities, and expertise
The essay should not exceed 3,000 words (without references). It should:
- have a clear introduction and conclusion laying out the themes and how those themes will be pursued;
- have a robust description along the key components described above and which will be further discussed in class;
- go beyond the discussion, and there are several opportunities on how to do that: one could critique the current direction of innovation policy; one could unpack its language to show that it is not what it says it is; show where that policy fits within a larger landscape of other countries or the history of the nation; make predictions of what will happen to this policy direction in the near future.
- show appreciation for the specific sources chosen for the essay but also draw on literature of the module.
