As EU Research Commissioner Carlos Moedas ponders the design of his proposed European Innovation Council, he will find a large number of templates around the world.
It’s a trending institute, with a growing number of countries establishing national councils for innovation, or for an amalgamation of science, technology and innovation.
And it comes with a regional twist, with a geographic split between advisory councils found primarily in countries in Europe and North America, and councils with a strong planning and coordination mandate, and control over budgets, prevalent in Asia.
Most innovation councils in the Western world have a limited remit. In general, they have the primary task of providing advice which, for some, includes producing reports and evaluating policy.
Councils in Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, UK and the US fit this model.
If Moedas has a more ambitious vision for the EIC, he could take a look at the far-reaching powers of councils in China, Japan and Korea, which have priority-setting and policy planning roles.
Closer to home, Finland’s innovation council stands out as having more influence than its peers elsewhere in Europe.
Some councils are chaired by the head of the government, while others are led by a minister, usually of economics, science and technology, research or enterprise. Others consist entirely of independent experts who report to the government.
Here is a crib sheet of some of the main innovation councils operating around the world:
Belgium
The 20-man Flemish Council for Science and Innovation provides strategic advice to the Minister for Work, Economy, Innovation and the Flemish parliament.Canada
The Science, Technology and Innovation Council was formed in 2007 as an independent advisory body mandated by the Canadian government to provide confidential advice. Every two years, the 19-member council produces reports that compare the country’s performance against international efforts. Ministers are invited in an observatory or advisory function. The latest and fourth report was released in 2014.
China
China’s highly-influential Leading Group for Science, Technology and Education coordinates and sets priorities in science, technology and education policy. It is usually chaired by the prime minister and includes the Minister of Finance, as well the Presidents of the Academies of Science and Engineering and the President of the National Natural Science Foundation of China.
Denmark
The Danish Council for Research and Innovation Policy is made up of nine members belonging to industry and academia. It advises the Minister for Higher Education and Science and the Danish parliament, looking at both the research and innovation policy points of view. It produces an annual report which contains assessment and recommendations on the state of Danish research and innovation.
Finland
The 17-person Finnish Research and Innovation Council is one of the world’s longest-existing councils. It is also one of the most influential innovation bodies in Europe. Chaired by the country’s prime minister, it plays a part in the strategic development and coordination of Finnish science and technology policy, as well as produces regular guidelines for research and innovation policy.
India
The National Innovation Council is a think-tank whose members come together to discuss and analyse strategies for innovation in India. It set out the country’s Roadmap for Innovation 2010-2020.
Japan
The Japanese Council for Science, Technology and Innovation is one of the world’s most powerful innovation councils. It is chaired by the prime minister, convenes once a month and has a huge secretariat of around 100 people. It has responsibility for report-writing, policy formation (including budget allocation) and evaluation powers. Ministers are equal or full members of the council alongside independent experts.
Korea
The Korean Science and Technology Council has significant influence over the government’s research and innovation budget. It is co-chaired by the prime minister and a high-level representative of the private sector, and comprises 13 members from government and 10 private delegates.
New Zealand
Unlike the other councils, the New Zealand Innovation Council is a private company founded in 2009. It provides innovators, entrepreneurs and business people with access to innovation experts, forums and events via its online hub. It counts 1,800 member companies and runs an annual awards not dissimilar to the one Moedas reportedly wants to inaugurate.
South Africa
South Africa has a 19-member National Advisory Council on Innovation which meets four times a year. Its mandate is to advise the Minister for Science and Technology. The vice chancellor of the University of Pretoria, Cheryl de la Rey, is currently the chairperson.
Sweden
Last February, the Swedish prime minister created a new advisory hub called the National Innovation Council (Nationella innovationsrådet), with himself as the chairman. It consists of five ministers and 10 representatives from industry and academia.
Switzerland
The Swiss Science and Innovation Council, which last year celebrated its 50th anniversary, is the advisory body to the Federal Council on matters related to science, higher education, research and innovation policy. It currently has 15 members, the majority of which are drawn from academia – a feature which has been criticised in some quarters of the country.
The Netherlands
Chaired by a senior politician figure, the long-living Dutch Advisory council for science, technology and innovation is a national policy think tank which provides advice to the government and parliament. Currently, a majority of its 10 members are from academia.
The US
The American Energy Innovation Council was formed in 2010 to come up with ways of stoking economic growth and creating new industries in energy technology. The six-person advisory body comprises well known industry figures including Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates; General Electric chairman and chief executive Jeff Immelt; Norman Augustine, a former chairman and chief executive of Lockheed Martin; John Doerr, a Silicon Valley venture capitalist; Chad Holliday, chairman of oil giant Shell; and Tom Linebarger, chairman and chief executive of Cummins.
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