The aim of the workshop was twofold; to continue the discussion about what we have learned about impact and the future of science policy; and to give each other micro-feedback on relevant writings in progress.
The first part of the seminar centered on “what have we found out so far about impact?”. One lesson that was highlighted is that R&D is not enough – you also need the the ability or capacity to put it into use. The discussion then moved into the direction of research funding, and the implications of introducing a mission-oriented approach to funding research. Another issue discussed is how to measure impact and the use of qualitative measures to challenge the quantitative approach.
In the second part of the workshop, participants presented a text or issue that they struggle with, to get immediate feedback from the group. The issues spanned from a theoretical discussion of the term “social innovation” to methodological questions on “how to measure innovation”. Some of the participants also used the opportunity to ask for specific feedback on how to frame a research question and how to visualize empirical data.
The workshop ended with a long walk along the beautiful coast and (for some) a swim in the sea, followed by a lovely dinner at the local restaurant.