General description of the elective
The second semester elective “Innovation and the State” aims to deepen students’ knowledge on the role of the state in supporting and steering innovation processes as well as governance aspects in the context of sustainability transitions. TalTech semester offers both theoretical lectures on technology governance as well as practical insights that help students to identify and develop skills and capabilities needed to manage innovation-supporting public sector policies and organizations.Estonia offers a unique setting for studying the interrelations between technology and governance. This small Baltic state is one of the most dynamic and digitalized countries in the world and a forerunner in building borderless digital societies and governments (see e-estonia.com, e-resident.gov.ee). Further, next to one of the most advanced e-governance systems, it has been also the birthplace for 10 unicorns (including Skype, Bolt, Playtech, Veriff), which is a unique achievement for a nation of 1.3 million people (7.7 unicorns per million capita).
Schedule of elective courses
The elective module for the ESST students consists of two courses in the total amount of 12 ECTS. There is one compulsory course – Creating Innovation Capacities in Government (6 ECTS) – which focuses on the analysis of public sector organizations that support innovation on the system level, organizational level, and individual level. As the second course, students can choose from a list of specific courses (all 6 ECTS) to either broaden their knowledge of global trends in governance – Implementing Governance in a Diverse Globalized World – or focus on specific topics of their interest – Recent Issues in Big Data and Governance or Innovation and Case Studies of New Technologies.
The two elective courses are held between February and May. The sequence of courses and exact dates vary annually. All courses are scheduled for evening times starting from around 5 pm.
Maximum number of ESST students:
There are no formal requirements with regard to minimum or maximum number of students for the elective under Technology Governance & Sustainability program.
Sample bibliography:
- Rainer Kattel, Wolfgang Drechsler and Erkki Karo. 2022. How to Make an Entrepreneurial State. Why Innovation Needs Bureaucracy. Yale University Press
- Mariana Mazzucato. 2011. The Entrepreneurial State: Debunking Public vs. Private Sector Myths. Anthem Press, UK.
- Mariana Mazzucato. 2016. From market fixing to market-creating: a new framework for innovation policy. Industry and Innovation, 23(2), 140-156.
- Jan Fagerberg, Ben R. Martin and Esben S. Andersen. 2013. Innovation Studies. Evolution and Future Challenges. Oxford University Press.
- Richard Nelson. 2011. The Moon and the Ghetto revisited. Science and Public Policy, 38(9), November, 681–690.
- Richard Nelson. 1994. The Co-evolution of Technology, Industrial Structure, and Supporting Institutions. Industrial and Corporate Change, 3(1) January, 47–63.
- Charles A. O’Reilly III and Michael L. Tushman. Ambidexterity as a dynamic capability: Resolving the innovator’s dilemma. Research in Organizational Behavior 28 (2008) 185–206.
- Dan Breznitz and Darius Ornston. The politics of partial success: fostering innovation in innovation policy in an era of heightened public scrutiny. Socio-Economic Review, 2016, Vol. 0, No. 0, 1–21.
- Piret Tõnurist, Rainer Kattel, Veiko Lember. 2017. Innovation Labs in the Public Sector: what they are and what they do? Public Management Review, 19 (10), 1455−1479.
- Veiko Lember, Rainer Kattel, Piret Tõnurist. 2018. Technological Capacity in Public Sector: The Case of Estonia. International Review of Administrative Sciences, 84 (2), 214−230
- Vasilis Niaros, Vasilis Kostakis, Wolfgang Drechsler. 2017. Making (in) the smart city: The emergence of makerspaces. Telematics and Informatics, 34 (7), 1143−1152.
- Michel Bauwens, Vasilis Kostakis, Stacco Troncoso, Ann Marie Utratel. 2017. Commons Transition and Peer-to-Peer: A Primer. Amsterdam: Transnational Institute.
- Ralf-Martin Soe, Wolfgang Drechsler. 2017. Agile local governments: experimentation before implementation. Government Information Quarterly
Some examples of thesis topics:
- Innovation and technological development as well as policies in the era of global value chains and/or sustainability transitions.
- Global patterns of governance and innovation: comparative and case studies of specific regions, countries, or technologies (including blockchain and other peer-to-peer technologies).
- Global policy transfer and policy learning in innovation policies or e-government and public sector innovation.
- Trends and challenges in public sector innovation and digital transformation of government (organizations, services, systems).
- Etc.
Staff members who may act as thesis supervisors
Professor Wolfgang Drechsler: Public Management Reform, Non-Western Governance (esp. Islamic and Confucian), Innovation Theory and Policy, History and Theory of PA, Political Philosophy, Social Science Theory and Method, Academic Administration, Science Policy (esp. EU), Local government, Nanotechnology, E-governance; Techno-determinism and critique of technology.
Associate professor Erkki Karo: various aspects of innovation, technology and industrial policies: theories, governance, implementation issues, comparative perspective, including focus on East Asia, Latin America etc.; theoretical and practical issues of public sector innovation.
Associate professor Anu Masso: Big data and governance, algorithmic governance, various issues related to big data and public policy (mobility, migration etc).
Professor Veiko Lember: Technology and public administration; digital governance; public-private partnerships; co-creation/co- production; public sector innovation; public procurement of innovation; innovation policy; demand and innovation; technology transfer; research/science policy.
Professor Vasilis Kostakis: Ecological impact of ICT diffusion, peer-to-peer technologies, the feasibility and future impact of the DGML (design globally, manufacture locally) production model.
Research fellow Margit Kirs: Innovation and industrial policy; Technology governance; Business models in high-tech sectors (biotechnology, bioeconomy).
Coordinator of TalTech elective
Egert Juuse, PhD
Ragnar Nurkse Department of Innovation and Governance
Akadeemia tee 3
12618 Tallinn
Estonia
E-mail: egert.juuse@taltech.ee
Phone: +372 620 2657
Tallinn University of Technology
