Governance of Innovation, Technology, Higher Education and Research (GITHER)

The SRO Governance of Innovation, Technology, Higher Education and Research (GITHER) focuses on university-industry knowledge interactions in new and emerging science and technology, the governance of universities and public research, and evolving research ‘regimes’ of universities, business and government. The aim of the research is to gain a better understanding of the dynamics and interactions in science and emergent technologies such as genomics and nanotechnology in science, industry, and society focusing on the internal and external governance of higher education and other public research organizations as well as related government organizations.

We expect a midterm revision / adjustment of this program medio-2012.

Contact

Programme coordinator: prof.dr. Stefan Kuhlmann

E-mail: s.kuhlmann@utwente.nl

Chairs

Foundations of Science, Technology and Society – prof.dr. S. Kuhlmann

Policy and Knowledge – prof.dr. R. Hoppe

History of Science and Technology – prof.dr. L.L. Roberts

Regulation and Technology – prof.dr. B.R. Dorbeck-Jung

Higher Education Policy – prof.dr. J. Enders

Science Communication – prof.dr. H.F.M. te Molder

Expertise centers

Centre for Higher Education Policy Studies CHEPS

Department of Science, Technology and Policy Studies STePS

Full text

The aim of the research of Governance of Innovation, Technology, Higher Education and Research (GITHER) is to gain a better understanding of the dynamics and interactions of science and emergent technologies such as genomics and nanotechnology in science, industry, and society focusing on the internal and external governance of higher education and other public research organizations as well as related government organizations.

The research activities are organized in three main research lines. The first research line aims at assessing the diversity of university-industry knowledge interactions across various technologies with a focus on the ‘new sciences’ such as nanotechnology and biotechnology, and on converging technologies. The theoretical starting point lies in the innovation literature that stresses the technological variety of knowledge accumulation patterns both from a sectoral as well as a disciplinary perspective.

The second research line aims to apply the empirical findings to the governance and policy situation of universities and public research. The theoretical starting point of this research is a multidisciplinary perspective using recent insights of innovation and entrepreneurship theory, institutional economic theory as well as sociology and political science. This research line highlights the governance and steering of institutional entrepreneurship as well as the governance an steering of innovation capacity building in research and teaching.

The third research line extends the institutional analysis of the second research line to the international, dynamic context of evolving research regimes in which universities, business and government interact and co-evolve over time. In the third research line there is a specific emphasis on the dynamics of science & technology policy, higher education policy, and innovation policy as well as policy learning processes from a comparative perspective. Finally, multilevel governance (European, national and regional) will receive specific attention.