Manchester Institute of Innovation Research ANNUAL REPORT 

our evaluation work is at the higher level – advising on novel methods and approaches,
looking across evaluation findings to explore “what works” (so-called meta-evaluation) and
extending evaluation upwards to the ‘whole system’ level. However we also continue to
extend evaluation to new levels of governance for STI policy, with a continuing research
interest in the evaluation of sub-national innovation policies and mirrored by continued
engagement with regional and city-regional activities within the UK, the North West and
Manchester. Much of our evaluation work has explored the dynamics of collaborative R&D,
giving us an unparalleled empirical understanding of the nature of collaborative research
both between public R&D actors and across the public-private divide. This work has been
complemented by more than a decade of high-profile research into the dynamics of
academic-industry links.
This theme should be a horizontal, cross-cutting one, with links into each of the other
research themes of the Institute and indeed this is reflected in the research interests and
activities of those active in this theme (for instance critical work on the relevance of
analytical notions of ‘systems of innovation’ to public policy thinking). All of the work in all
of our themes is potentially policy-relevant, exploring aspects of innovation dynamics
which policy-makers need to understand in order to make better decisions in the future.
Highlights in 2011 included:
Conceptual and empirical work examining the wider roles and rationales for the
involvement of public actors in the innovation process, for instance by stimulating
demand for innovation through innovative approaches to public procurement or to the
provision of public services, including our continuing IRC project UNDERPINN (see
above) and its associated Sustainable Consumption Institute project.
Work exploring trends and developments in innovation policies, including a project
exploring small country innovation policy issues (ERA-PRISM)
The successful completion of a major FP7 funded project exploring future
developments in the relations between defence and security policies and research
policies in the European Union (SANDERA);
Work looking at international and European governance and at the multi-level
governance of knowledge production and utilisation, including our continued work on
the development and impacts of the European Research Council (undoubtedly the key
science policy innovation in Europe within the last 20 years) and our ongoing
programme of work on innovation policy issues for the Italian region of Trento.
Embarking upon a new meta-analysis of impact assessments and evaluations of
innovation policy initiatives in association with NESTA (see “Highlight” below).
Scholarly outputs in this area include articles in Research Policy, Research Evaluation,
Futures, Science and Public Policy, Regional Studies, Scientometrics and the Journal of
Technology Transfer. All outputs not previously reported are reported elsewhere in this
document. We have contributed to major international conferences (including a parallel
session stemming from our work on the European Research Council held at the recent
Atlanta Science Policy Conference) and – together with a theme 4 project – organised two
high level events with senior policy makers, including the Minister of State for University
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