Policy and institutions

Overview: In the light of the enormous transformation capacity and economic opportunities of smart machines that ought to be realized through their diffusion, the question arises how to promote their development and proliferation. It is widely recognized that the design and potential success of various types of policy, such as industrial, technology and innovation policy depend on country-specific factors and, among other things, on a country’s institutional setting. Therefore, Task 3 is dedicated to the study of the institutional and policy framework of smart machines and of other pioneering technologies that characterize the technological race of the digitalization. 

Objectives:

• Provide a thorough investigation of the policy and institutional framework of the Digital Revolution on a national and supranational level and compare this framework among the European and global leaders of this technology race
• Analysis of the nexus between institutions, policy and technology and provide on this basis a sound guideline for the design of future industrial, technology and innovation policy
• Identify leverage points from which the innovative performance of countries to develop new technologies and their adaptive capacity with regard to the diffusion of smart machines could be stimulated

As to methods and tools, Task 3 relies on appreciative theorizing and explorative, qualitative case studies. If possible, our arguments are supported with empirical material. Thereby we make use of e.g., descriptive statistics and network analysis.