Mon 5/23: Why Innovation is Not a Hot Election Topic (Yet)

Sven Otto Littorin, visiting scholar at the Center for Innovation and Communication.  Sweden’s Minister for Employment 2006-10, President of the European Council of Ministers 2009, in its Epsco formation (Ministers for Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs).

We all know innovative societies fare better than stagnant ones. It will come to no surprise that innovative companies create more jobs than those who are not innovative. If we know this, we haven’t innovation become a hot election topic yet?

I think the answer is rather simple: politicians, like most people, pick the lowest hanging fruits first. They focus on policies which yield results before the next election. And even if we know that innovation is good, are we really sure which policies lead to which results? Or when? Or why? Are we really sure we talk about the same things, when we speak of innovation?

Even if these problems exist, I do believe that innovation will be at the center of political debate in the years to come. Given the recent crises, every person aspiring to be a political leader must have a plan on how to integrate innovation policies into his or hers political agenda. In the morning of May 23, I will discuss what I believe will happen and why.