Transformative Innovation Policy

The 2021 Colloquium Report: Transformative Innovation Policy – Perspectives from South Africa captures a three-day event (13–15 October 2021) aimed at building a community of practice around Transformative Innovation Policy (TIP) in South Africa. Hosted by the Department of Science and Innovation and the University of Johannesburg’s TIP Africa Hub, the colloquium brought together researchers, policymakers, and practitioners to explore how innovation policy can drive systemic, inclusive, and sustainable change. Through keynote addresses, panel discussions, and project presentations from initiatives such as the Living Catchments, Sustainable Human Settlements, and Sandbox Schools projects, participants reflected on practical applications of TIP, including co-creation, transformative evaluation, theory of change, and overcoming policy barriers. The event concluded that fostering transformation requires collaboration, shared learning, flexible evaluation, and incremental yet deliberate action toward systemic change aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals.

Abstract based on original source.