One of the lecturers from the Department of International Relations (DIHI), Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIPOL) UGM, Suci Lestari Yuana, Ph.D., has once again achieved international academic recognition. Together with her collaborators, she has recently published a scholarly article in the prestigious journal Annual Review of Environment and Resources, titled “Transformative Innovation Policy: An Analytical Review of Key Methods and Challenges.”
The article discusses Transformative Innovation Policy (TIP), a new generation of innovation policy designed to address increasingly complex social and environmental challenges—from energy and food crises to mobility systems that remain entrenched in unsustainable modes of production and consumption. The authors emphasize that merely improving technologies or financial instruments is no longer sufficient. Systemic innovations and transformative policies are needed to enable just transitions, ensuring both social justice and planetary health.
The article outlines several key elements in the design and implementation of TIP, including experimentation and formative evaluation, strengthening policy capacities, building knowledge infrastructures, and empowering communities of practice. Case studies from Spain and Indonesia are presented to illustrate how TIP can be applied in practice and offer new directions for future innovation policy.
The main contribution of this work lies in proposing alternative innovation policies that are more transformative, grounded in democratic values, decolonial sensitivities, enhanced well-being, and the ability to navigate multiple futures. These ideas are strongly connected to the pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure), SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), and SDG 13 (Climate Action).
🔗 Publication link: Annual Review of Environment and Resources