problem-oriented innovation system

With the emergence of global challenges, particularly in areas related to climate and global warming, a new era of innovation policy-making has begun. Researchers have introduced concepts like mission-oriented innovation policy to advance the framework of science and technology governance. A major critique of mission-oriented innovation policy is the absence of a well-defined framework, prompting scholars in recent years to refine and deepen this concept. This study conducts a systematic review of mission-oriented innovation policy frameworks by analyzing relevant literature from the Scopus and Web of Science databases. Through bibliometric analysis and an in-depth examination of key ideas presented in the articles, several core themes have been identified: the system/ecosystem perspective, the problem-solution duality, governance strategies, challenges to established innovation regimes, and policy implementation. Finally, by highlighting existing research gaps, the study provides actionable recommendations for future investigations, aiming to enrich the theoretical and practical understanding of mission-oriented innovation policy.

One of the problems that countries have faced in recent decades with the advent of information and communication technology (ICT) is the “digital divide problem”, which refers to the unequal distribution of technology resources and equipment in the ICT field. Therefore, the digital divide is one of the problems that should be considered by policymakers in each country to achieve economic and social development through its effective management. Studies conducted to analyze the digital divide problem have so far been largely non-systematic and without regard to a systematic analysis of the process of technological development and innovation in technical and social aspects. Therefore, in this article, while evaluating the situation of the digital divide in Iran based on the Network Readiness Index (NRI) model, for the first time the new approach of "Problem-oriented Innovation System (PIS)" as a systematic framework for analyzing the problem of the digital divide and providing policy recommendations to reduce it, is introduced and implemented. The research methodology is mixed-method with a descriptive and analytical approach based on documentary-method and survey. Data collection tools are questionnaires, interviews and library studies. The results show that Iran has a significant digital divide with the selected countries under study in this article, and the weakness in the development of digital infrastructure, inconsistencies and multiple parallel works in the policymaking layer and lack of public awareness and necessary skills in the use of ICT, especially in deprived areas, have been among the factors affecting the intensification of Iran's digital divide.

Innovation system studies have increased significantly over the past decades and various approaches have been presented in the literature; consequently, innovation policies have undergone substantial changes in the context of each period. Most of these approaches have focused on the development of technological innovation for purely economic purposes. Resolving macro-level societal problems based on the innovation system, called “Problem-oriented Innovation System (PIS)”, has recently been introduced in the related literature and has opened a new path for economic and social development of countries. Implementation of this framework by policymakers will serve as the basis for developing problem-oriented innovation policy for the problems or challenges facing society. To this end, this paper, while presenting the historical evolution of innovation policies, introduces analytical framework of “Problem-oriented Innovation System” as a comprehensive approach to analyzing technical and social innovation processes for resolving large scale problems with the aim of providing a basis for problem-oriented innovation policy. Finally, we analyze two case studies (the problem resolution systems of US earthquake and the digital divide in South Korea) based on the “Event History Analysis” strategy.