Stategic Influence Handbook 2016

72 73 THALES GROUP INTERNAL THALES GROUP INTERNAL SPRU (S cience P olicy R esearch U nit ) University of Sussex Sussex House, Falmer Brighton, BN1 9RH United Kingdom Phone: +44 (0)1273 606755 E-mail: information@sussex.ac.uk SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, INNOVATION The Science Policy Research Unit (SPRU) was founded in 1966 by Professor Christopher Freeman, a pioneer of what is known as innovation studies today. It is one of the world’s leading centres of research on science, technology and innovation policy and management. Their work has a global impact on decision making for sustainable futures and they are internationally recognised as pioneers in our field. Today, they remain at the forefront of new ideas, challenge-led research and inspiring teaching. SPRU has 70 plus faculty members and more than 180 MSc and 80 doctoral students. • 1 - Science, Politics and Decision Making: Researchers at SPRU apply a deep historical understanding to how the choices made about science and technology shape our societies. They also work on the politics of expertise, and on issues of foresight, research assessment, metrics and impact in today’s research environment. • 2 - Energy, Sustainability and Development: Since the 1970s SPRU has been at the heart of international debates about the role of science, technology and innovation in fostering sustainability and development. SPRU’s aim is to help organisations, industries and policy makers ensure that appropriate technologies and innovations are developed and deployed to produce positive effects. • 3 - Economics of Innovation and Industrial Policy: Researchers at SPRU seek to understand the structure and dynamics of innovating firms and industrial systems and how to manage innovation capabilities in firms, including research and technology change in high-tech industries and managing uncertainty in complex systems. • 4 - Technology and Innovation Management: SPRU’s work includes analysis of technology strategy, new technology based firms, complex systems and products, high-growth new ventures, as well as looking at innovation in different business models and sectors, including infrastructure, healthcare, biopharmaceu- ticals and services. Specialist research centres: • Sussex Energy Group • Centre on Innovation and Energy Demand (in partnership with the Universities of Oxford and Manchester) • The STEPS Centre (Co-hosted with the Institute of Development Studies) • The Nexus Network (with the universities of East Anglia and Cambridge), • Harvard Sussex Program (a long-standing partnership with Harvard University in the field of biological and chemical weapons) Recent Publications: “Engineering and sustainability: control and care in unfoldings of modernity” Stirling, Andy (2019) ; “Sus- tainability and the politics of transformations: from control to care in moving beyond modernity’’, Stirling, Andy (2019) ; “Technological frames and the politics of automated electric light rail rapid transit in Poland and the United Kingdom”, Sovacool, Benjamin and Haieri Yazdi, Asieh (2019). • To date, some 600 engaged academics have worked or are working at SPRU. • More than 9,000 publications have been produced. • Around 1,000 Masters students have gained post-graduate qualifications. • More than 350 PhD theses have been written. • Director: Professor Jeremy HALL (former Director of the Centre for Social Innovation Management at Surrey Business School, and former Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Engineering and Technology Ma- nagement, a highly impactful technology and innovation management journal). • Chairman: Professor Luc SOETE (former Rector Magnificus of Maastricht University from 2012 to August 2016, and former Director of the United Nations University research and training institute: UNU-MERIT). • Deputy chairman: Professor Sandy THOMAS (Director of the Global Panel on Agriculture and Food Systems for Nutrition. Until March 2015 she was at the Space Agency on secondment from the Go- vernment Office for Science). Comments Governance Thales Ranking 28 th GGTTI Ranking 3 rd Science and Technology Policy Science Policy Research Unit The aim is to tackle real world challenges such as climate change and inequality. They want to create more sustainable, secure and equal societies thanks to innovative science policy solutions: • Connecting experts and insights • Teaching the next generation • Developing leading research initiatives • Engaging with a wide range of partners • Tackling key global challenges Missions SPRU Research activities are extremely diverse, and are grouped into four main research themes: Structure & Activités STRATEGIC INFLUENCE HANDBOOK - EUROPE INDEX