Call for Tracks and Special Sessions

Innovation, Strategic Autonomy and Global Challenges: This theme aims to address how science, technology and innovation policies reconcile economic competitiveness, geopolitical security, environmental sustainability and societal well-being. Topics examples:

• European technological sovereignty
• Critical supply chains and control points
• R&I investment gaps
• Green, digital and defence technologies
• Dual-use innovation
• Competing societal values
• Global risks and uncertainty

Innovation Ecosystems, Knowledge Dynamics and Societal Transformation: This theme is geared to explore the role played by actors, institutions, networks and knowledge processes shaping innovation, and how these influence societal transformations at organisational, regional and international levels. Topics examples:

• Innovation ecosystem actors
• Knowledge creation processes
• Social and technical entrepreneurship
• Social innovation
• Citizen participation
• Organisational capabilities
• Regional innovation systems
• New forms of competition

Transformative Innovation Policy, Missions and Transitions: This theme aims to explore the design and implementation of transformative and mission-oriented policies addressing complex societal challenges, including the difficulties of moving from policy ambitions to systemic change. Topics examples:

• Mission-oriented innovation policy
• Sustainability transitions and policy mixes
• Behavioural additionality
• Socio-technical roadmaps
• Scaling innovation
• Normative and positive policy approaches
• Monitoring, evaluation and policy learning

Governing Emerging Technologies and Digital Transformation: This theme addresses the governance of rapidly evolving technologies, with particular attention to artificial intelligence, regulation, technological risks and the changing relationship between innovation, work and society. Contributions to other technology areas are also welcome. Topics examples:

• AI governance and systemic risks
• Digital regulatory frameworks; cybersecurity
• Digital markets and competition
• AI and automation impact on employment and workforce transitions
• Dual-use technology governance
• Regulatory sandboxes.

New Frontiers in Innovation Policy Research, Methods and Evidence: The theme focuses on advancing the theoretical, methodological and empirical foundations of science, technology and innovation policy research, including new opportunities created by digitalisation and AI. Topics examples:

• Analytical frameworks
• Measurement and indicators
• Digital empirical methods
• Experimental policy evaluation
• AI-assisted research
• Science-policy interfaces
• Participatory research
• Policy dialogues and co-creation

The range of topics included above is wide, these derive from traditional and emerging topics related to the main conference theme. As there might be blind spots, in addition to proposals on this range of topics, we will also consider other relevant suggestions for tracks addressing interdisciplinary dimensions related to policy and governance in the field of knowledge creation and innovation.

We are inviting proposals for Tracks and Special Sessions addressing any of the issues mentioned in the Conference Theme description presented above. The tracks proposed shall consider the following:

• ”Tracks” will be composed by several sessions with paper presentations and discussion formats.
• The tracks will address specific topics of interest to the EU-SPRI community.
• Track convenors will be responsible for organising the review of submissions and managing the track sessions. We expect tracks to attract papers for at least one session and can include contributions from organisers.
• “Special Sessions” will include debates, roundtables and policy dialogues as well as other types of session formats that do not involve formal paper presentation.
• To ensure wide and inclusive participation we will strive to apply a restriction of one presentation per person.

Proposals should not exceed 800 words including the title, organisers’ details, description of the topic to be addressed and its relevance for the conference. Selected tracks and their descriptions will be included in the Conference Call for Papers. The conference organisers may propose merging track proposals to track convenors. Proposals for Special Sessions should include a description of the proposed format and participants.

We would like to emphasize that tracks/sessions with external guests’ participations must be confirmed very early to have any chance of being held at all. In our experience, appointments with guests cannot be made at short notice. Only proposals with clear information about guests will seem plausible to us.

Tracks organisers will be notified of the acceptance of their proposals prior to the opening of the Call for Papers. We expect the call for papers to be issued by late January 2027.