Electives

Innovation and the State: Innovation Policy, Public Sector Innovation and Digital Transformation

Tallinn University of Technology (TalTech), Estonia

Innovation and the State: Innovation Policy, Public Sector Innovation and Digital Transformation

Tallinn University of Technology (TalTech), Estonia

General Description

The second semester elective “Innovation and the State” aims to deepen students’ knowledge on the role of the state in supporting and steering innovation processes, as well as governance aspects in the context of sustainability transitions. The TalTech semester offers both theoretical lectures on technology governance and practical insights that help students identify and develop the skills and capabilities needed to manage innovation-supporting public sector policies and organizations.

Estonia offers a unique setting for studying the interrelations between technology and governance. This small Baltic state is one of the most dynamic and digitalized countries in the world and a forerunner in building borderless digital societies and governments (see e-estonia.com, e-resident.gov.ee). Further, next to one of the most advanced e-governance systems, it has also been the birthplace of 10 unicorns (including Skype, Bolt, Playtech, Veriff), a unique achievement for a nation of 1.3 million people (7.7 unicorns per million capita).

Schedule of Elective Courses

The elective module for ESST students consists of two courses totalling 12 ECTS. There is one compulsory course – Public Sector Capacities for Innovation, Transformations and Sustainability (6 ECTS) – which focuses on the analysis of public sector organizations that support innovation at the system, organizational, and individual level. As the second course, students can choose from a list of specific courses (all 6 ECTS) to either broaden their knowledge of global trends in governance – Implementing Governance in a Diverse Globalized World –, to tackle the challenges and possibilities of the commons with a primary focus on sustainability – Case Studies in Alternative Technologies and Organizations for Sustainability –, or further delve into the key topics, theories and methods of STS – Introduction to Science and Technology Studies.

The two elective courses are held between February and May. The sequence of courses and exact dates vary annually. All courses are scheduled for evening times starting from around 5pm.




  • Rainer Kattel, Wolfgang Drechsler and Erkki Karo. 2022. How to Make an Entrepreneurial State. Why Innovation Needs Bureaucracy. Yale University Press.
  • Mariana Mazzucato. 2011. The Entrepreneurial State: Debunking Public vs. Private Sector Myths. Anthem Press, UK.
  • Mariana Mazzucato. 2016. From market fixing to market-creating: a new framework for innovation policy. Industry and Innovation, 23(2), 140-156.
  • Jan Fagerberg, Ben R. Martin and Esben S. Andersen. 2013. Innovation Studies. Evolution and Future Challenges. Oxford University Press.
  • Richard Nelson. 2011. The Moon and the Ghetto revisited. Science and Public Policy, 38(9), November, 681–690.
  • Richard Nelson. 1994. The Co-evolution of Technology, Industrial Structure, and Supporting Institutions. Industrial and Corporate Change, 3(1) January, 47–63.
  • Charles A. O’Reilly III and Michael L. Tushman. Ambidexterity as a dynamic capability: Resolving the innovator’s dilemma. Research in Organizational Behavior 28 (2008) 185–206.
  • Dan Breznitz and Darius Ornston. The politics of partial success: fostering innovation in innovation policy in an era of heightened public scrutiny. Socio-Economic Review, 2016.
  • Piret Tõnurist, Rainer Kattel, Veiko Lember. 2017. Innovation Labs in the Public Sector: what they are and what they do? Public Management Review, 19 (10), 1455−1479.
  • Veiko Lember, Rainer Kattel, Piret Tõnurist. 2018. Technological Capacity in Public Sector: The Case of Estonia. International Review of Administrative Sciences, 84 (2), 214−230.
  • Vasilis Niaros, Vasilis Kostakis, Wolfgang Drechsler. 2017. Making (in) the smart city: The emergence of makerspaces. Telematics and Informatics, 34 (7), 1143−1152.
  • Michel Bauwens, Vasilis Kostakis, Stacco Troncoso, Ann Marie Utratel. 2017. Commons Transition and Peer-to-Peer: A Primer. Amsterdam: Transnational Institute.
  • Ralf-Martin Soe, Wolfgang Drechsler. 2017. Agile local governments: experimentation before implementation. Government Information Quarterly.
  • Professor Erkki Karo: various aspects of innovation, technology and industrial policies: theories, governance, implementation issues, comparative perspective, including a focus on East Asia, Latin America etc.; theoretical and practical issues of public sector innovation.
  • Professor Veiko Lember: Technology and public administration; digital governance; public-private partnerships; co-creation/co-production; public sector innovation; public procurement of innovation; innovation policy; demand and innovation; technology transfer; research/science policy.
  • Professor Vasilis Kostakis: Ecological impact of ICT diffusion, peer-to-peer technologies, the feasibility and future impact of the DGML (design globally, manufacture locally) production model.
  • Senior Lecturer Amirouche Moktefi: Public understanding of science and technology, ethics of technology, philosophy of science, socio-technical controversies.
  • Professor Wolfgang Drechsler: Public Management Reform, Non-Western Governance (esp. Islamic and Confucian), Innovation Theory and Policy, History and Theory of PA, Political Philosophy, Social Science Theory and Method, Academic Administration, Science Policy (esp. EU), Local government, Nanotechnology, E-governance; Techno-determinism and critique of technology.
  • Professor Anu Masso: Big data and governance, algorithmic governance, various issues related to big data and public policy (mobility, migration etc).
  • Research Fellow Margit Kirs: Innovation and industrial policy; Technology governance; Business models in high-tech sectors (biotechnology, bioeconomy).
  • Innovation and technological development as well as policies in the era of global value chains and/or sustainability transitions.
  • Global patterns of governance and innovation: comparative and case studies of specific regions, countries, or technologies (including blockchain and other peer-to-peer technologies).
  • Policy transfer and policy learning in innovation policies or e-government and public sector innovation.
  • Topics related to commons, postgrowth/degrowth, mid-tech and cosmolocalism.
  • Trends and challenges in public sector innovation and digital transformation of government (organizations, services, systems).

Maximum Number of ESST Students

There are no formal requirements with regard to minimum or maximum number of students for the elective under the Technology Governance & Sustainability programme.

Coordinator of TalTech Elective

Egert Juuse, PhD, Ragnar Nurkse Department of Innovation and Governance, Akadeemia tee 3, 12618 Tallinn, Estonia — egert.juuse@taltech.ee, Phone: +372 620 2657

Contact for Accommodation / International Affairs Office

Pillemari Lilleorg, Incoming Exchange Students Specialist, Mobility Centre, Office of Academic Affairs — pillemari.lilleorg@taltech.ee, Phone: +382 620 3517

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