The annual Eu-SPRI conference is the leading event in science, technology and innovation policy in Europe, with a broad attendance of scientists as well as policymakers. The key objectives of the conference are to provide a forum for scholars in the areas of research and innovation policy analysis, to exchange ideas, and to present findings across disciplinary boundaries. The “European Forum for Studies of Policies for Research and Innovation” (Eu-SPRI Forum) aims to strengthen the vibrant but dispersed interdisciplinary community of researchers focusing on interdisciplinary dimensions related to policy and governance in the field of knowledge creation and innovation.

This year’s conference theme – Challenging Science and Innovation Policy – will explore future directions for studies of policies for research and innovation with a special emphasis on the topics of Digitisation, Open Science and Futuring. The conference will be hosted in Utrecht, the Netherlands. We expect more than 200 participants.

Research on STI has changed considerably in recent years. It has diversified in terms of topics and applications and deepened with respect to theories and methods. These developments reflect the ongoing development of new technologies, how novel ideas are put to use in the economy and society, how innovation is mobilised for addressing societal challenges, and how policies and institutions affect the growth and direction of innovations. In each of these interrelated areas we are witnessing accelerating changes, frictions and puzzles that pose future challenges for STI policy research in terms of new views, analyses, policy designs and co-operation partners.