From the moon to the ghettos

Focusing on solely on tech shortchanges society on innovation, says Koen Frenken

Social problems should take the forefront of a Dutch push to implement large-scale mission-driven innovation, Koen Frenken, a professor of innovation studies, tells Ineke Malsch.

Mission-driven innovation is the hot topic of the Dutch government’s research and innovation agenda. When it comes to such  missions, people often think of tech-heavy, boundary-breaking efforts, such as the moon landings. But Koen Frenken, professor at the Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development at Utrecht University, thinks so-called ghetto missions are just as important as technical leaps forward.