Innovation thrives when ideas and assumptions are continually challenged and tested.
Our Provocations are short essays, written by external experts and thought-leaders, to provoke debate and discussion around some of the big social and economic challenges facing the UK.
Technology policy and global warming
The growing urgency of the global climate challenge has triggered a lively debate around the world over policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
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Re-inventing the civic university
In the context of a severe recession, pressure on the public finances and major societal challenges such as global warming and the ageing population, governments are quite properly asking: what are universities for?
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The failure of market failure: Towards a 21st century Keynesianism
"There is genius, dynamism and innovation in capitalism. Unfortunately, standard market theory does not properly allow it to be unlocked." argue Will Hutton and Philippe Schneider.
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Breaking the boundaries: Transformative innovation for the global good
"The innovations that power modern society have led to systems of energy, transport, food and housing that are unsustainable," argues Fred Steward.
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The difference dividend: Why innovation is vital to immigration
Immigration will feed innovation only when it is matched by policies that promote interaction. Common language will be critical to that.
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Beginning at the beginning
To unleash the innovative capacity of the UK in the 21st century, our education system needs to operate as a whole community process.
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Innovation technology: How new innovations are changing the way we innovate
Governments and public institutions need to be ahead of the game in understanding changes in the innovation process and be fully aware of innovation technology and its potential.
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Ready or not: Taking innovation in the public sector seriously
The public sector is often poor at innovation from within, and poor at learning from outside. It contains many innovative people but isn't good at harnessing their talents and imagination.
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Demanding innovation: Lead markets, public procurement and innovation
Innovations are the product of the creative interaction of supply and demand. However, in focussing on how to increase the supply of innovative businesses, policymakers have lost sight of the importance of demand.
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The 10 habits of mass innovation
The UK needs an intrinsic story of innovation, not one that is forced upon us by the competition. It needs to be a story about what we can become as a nation.
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