Demand-based Innovation Policy

Innovation policy has become tremendously differentiated. This is to some extent a consequence of a more systematic understanding of the innovation process as described in innovation system approaches (see Chaminade/Edquist 2008), which has led to a broad understanding of functions of innovation systems and related policies to support these functions (e.g. Hekkert et. al. 2006, Bradke et al. 2007, p. 48-59). Strikingly, although the approaches of the national innovation system originate partly in the inclusion of potential users (Lundvall 1988, 1992), and although the literature on national innovation systems includes the users of new knowledge and the customers for innovations, the demand side has long been neglected. The entire triangle of policy-makers, policy and innovation analysts and the business community (in their claims towards innovation policy-making) had long paid little attention to stimulating demand in innovation policy.....