Susann Roth: Mission-Oriented Innovation

Mission-oriented innovation and market-shaping policies have recently been adopted by policymakers around the world in international bodies like the EU and UN, national governments, and institutions. Missions can be designed and implemented as a policy tool. Using missions to drive national strategy or innovation means focusing less on sectors, but more on problems that matter to all. The mission must set clear objectives that can only be achieved by a portfolio of projects and supportive policy interventions.
The mission approach is useful for thinking about how to redirect strategies (or realize futures scenarios) so that it fosters new forms of collaborations across different forms of organizations and a wide variety of sectors. Mission-oriented thinking requires understanding the difference between (1) broad challenges, (2) missions, (3) sectors and (4) specific solutions.
Hence, complex and fast changing environments, and the uncertain causal relationship of consequences demand a radical shift in mindset. Today I am joined by Susann Roth, Chief of Knowledge Advisory Services Center at the Asian Development Bank (ADB). Susann’s focus is on anticipatory thinking and design thinking in the context of resilient development strategy.