Expert Panel Outline

Public Sector Leadership: New Ideas Need Innovative Public Policy
 
Wednesday, 26 May 2010 - 16.00-17.30 - Hall 2
Panel Summary and Conclusions
 
Slides
 
This session served to investigate the role of public policy in the innovation process and how policy can be designed to fulfil this role, with an emphasis on the transport sector. Questions for consideration included:
 
  • To the extent innovation needs steering, what goals should be pursued in transport?
  • What are the key issues and trends that will shape the future of transport systems?
  • Is there a tension between stimulating innovation for the private pursuit of profit and steering innovation to meet policy objectives?
  • What policies and institutions are needed in general? Are there specific needs for the transport sector? Which research agencies lead the way? What are the best practices for innovation policy in transport?
  • What are the main barriers to innovation in the transport sector? How do market structures and prevailing forms of regulation in transport affect incentives to innovate? Is there a need for rebalancing to stimulate innovation more?
  • Should public involvement focus on pre-market stages (e.g. R&D), or is there a broader role (e.g. helping create markets by supporting early-stage production and by stimulating network externalities)?
  • What is required for creating markets for new technologies, such as, for example, electric cars; tax incentives for consumers; or subsidies to manufacturers?
 
Chair
 
  • Louis Ranger, former Deputy Minister of Transport, Canada
 
Panellists
 
  • Charlotte Brogren, Director General, VINNOVA, Sweden
  • Tera Allas, Chief Economist, UK Department for Transport
  • Bert Klerk, CEO, ProRail
  • Jean-Eric Paquet, Acting Director, DG-MOVE, European Commission
  • Dirk Pilat, Division Head, Science, Technology & Industry, OECD
  • Sanjivi Sundar, Distinguished Fellow, Energy & Resources Institute, India
 
Background
 
It is widely accepted that governments can stimulate efforts to innovate by making sure that markets can function smoothly and guaranteeing sufficient returns to successful efforts. And it is generally agreed that public support for the creation of knowledge is required. But there is an increasing awareness that this is not the full extent of innovation policy, as there is a need to steer innovation in directions that conform with overarching policy objectives, such as sustainable development. With this broader scope for public involvement in the innovation process, different views on how to go about policy may emerge.
 
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