Giving direction to innovation policy

This policy brief focuses on how South Africa can use the Transformative Innovation Policy (TIP) approach to make innovation more purposeful, inclusive, and impactful in achieving the country’s social, economic, and environmental goals (PDF, 130MB). It argues that while innovation is often promoted for economic growth, it can only truly transform society if it is intentionally directed toward addressing deep-rooted challenges such as inequality, poverty, and sustainability. The brief explains that TIP provides a new way of thinking about innovation by viewing it as part of a socio-technical system, where people, institutions, and technologies interact and influence one another. Instead of relying on traditional, linear models of innovation, TIP encourages systemic planning, experimentation, and reflection to achieve long-term transformative change. Using the Living Catchments Project as an example, the brief shows how policy experimentation can help test and refine new ideas in real-world contexts, build shared learning among stakeholders, and align innovation with broader development goals. It concludes by recommending that government departments and policymakers be trained in TIP principles, incorporate transformative outcomes into planning and evaluation frameworks, and build communities of practice that support ongoing collaboration and learning. Ultimately, the brief calls for a shift in South Africa’s innovation policy toward approaches that deliberately shape innovation to create inclusive, sustainable, and socially beneficial transformation.

Abstract based on original source.