Foresight and STI Governance

Emerging Сapacities for Knowledge Economy in BRICS Countries

2026-03-18T14:18:59+03:00

In the context of the modern global economy, key drivers of radical change are coming to the fore – transformational transitions to a more complex model – the knowledge economy in its broadest sense. A shift of this magnitude requires new approaches to capacity building for all countries, regardless of their level of development. The emerging imperative provides a wide range of opportunities for developing countries, suggesting a new configuration of the global economic landscape and strategic alliances. The BRICS countries (China, India, Russia, Brazil, UAE, Indonesia, South Africa, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia) represent a critical mass of players whose actions will determine the direction in which these processes will develop.

This article provides a comparative analysis of the innovative and transformational potential of the participants in this block in knowledge-intensive sectors in comparison with one another and with two developed benchmark countries – Austria and Australia. A methodology for calculating a comprehensive index of readiness for the knowledge economy is proposed. The countries under review are ranked on four levels based on the values of this indicator. Their degree of adaptation and readiness for transformational transitions to more complex levels, resource base, educational systems, indicators of patent publication activity, management efficiency, quality of human capital, infrastructure, and global integration capabilities are assessed. Recommendations are presented on policy measures for the development of intellectual economy sectors in the BRICS countries, as well as directions for future research.

A Hundred and Fifty Shades of Green: A Foresight-Driven Playbook for Sustainable Innovation Governance

2026-03-18T13:38:10+03:00

This paper introduces the Hundred and Fifty Shades of Green Playbook – an evidence-based, foresight-driven instrument for assessing and managing Sustainable Innovation (SI). Building on the CASI Project (2014–2017) and its successor applications in the BOLERO Project (2022–2025), with further implementation in the CASI-BIO project (2026–2030), the Playbook proposes a sequenced, action-oriented approach for multi-actor collaboration. It integrates stakeholder engagement, critical-issues analysis, and foresight-based planning into ten interlinked governance aspects encompassing 150 meta-tasks that guide sustainability-oriented decision-making across government, business, academia, and civil society. The BOLERO experience, particularly the MOBBI service innovation in Lombardy, exemplifies the framework’s transferability from EU-level to regional implementation, demonstrating its adaptability to diverse institutional and socio-economic contexts. Reflecting a decade of progress in the governance and management of sustainable innovation, the Playbook’s Action Roadmap and Strategic Framework link strategic foresight with participatory governance and sustainability assessment. Together, they offer a replicable model for building resilient, impact-driven innovation ecosystems that directly support the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and align with Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles. Future research will deepen longitudinal evaluation and continuous learning to ensure that sustainable innovation practices continue to evolve and shape the future.

Stage-Specific Drivers of Startup Ambidexterity

2026-03-16T10:17:27+03:00

This paper considers the impact of ambidexterity, consisting of the relationship between exploration and exploitation, on the development of start-ups. The main goal of the study is to determine the importance of ambidexterity’s critical success factors (CSF) for different phases of start-up development. Research covers 27 different CSFs and 18 items describing ambidexterity. This set of variables were analyzed in terms of the seed, early, and growth stages of start-up development. The statistical verification of research exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was applied with maximum likelihood as a factoring method. The study covers 170 start-ups operating in Poland. Respondents of the survey were general managers and business owners. The most important CSFs for start-up ambidexterity are strategic cooperation, establishing formal cooperation and dynamic capacity. In terms of ambidexterity, crucial activities relate to offering new, unique values for customers and systematically checking customer satisfaction. At the same time, CSFs such as leader’s age and gender or academic training were not significant for start-up ambidexterity. Moreover, research has shown that there is crucial difference between the seed stage and other phases of start-up development, which require one to pay attention to specific areas by the managers.

Most of the limitations are a result of the applied method of the EFA and size of the research sample. Due to the achieved sample size, it was not possible to form a factor for the expansion and exit stages, therefore these stages were not separately analyzed in the empirical research. This paper fills the research gap regarding the use of ambidexterity in start-ups and also deepens the knowledge on how to shape individual stages of start-up development, which allowed for making recommendations for practitioners and policymakers.

Overcoming Institutional Inertia: Intrapreneurship in Public Sector

2026-03-16T10:18:42+03:00

Public organizations face higher demands for innovation while operating under institutional structures that prioritize stability and control. This study develops a theoretical model that explains how entrepreneurial leadership (intrapreneurship) strengthens innovation capability at public organizations. Although research on leadership and public sector innovation has expanded in recent years, the two literatures have evolved separately, leaving limited understanding of how leadership orientations shape the conditions needed for sustained innovation. This study integrates insights from public entrepreneurship, leadership theory, and innovation capability research to explain how intrapreneurship influences organizational processes that support continuous innovation. The model identifies five mediating mechanisms that translate leadership behavior into organizational capability: learning orientation, psychological safety, organizational agility, digital readiness, and absorptive capacity. It also specifies contextual moderators, including administrative burden, political support, digital infrastructure, public service motivation, and bureaucratic culture, which shape the effectiveness of intrapreneurship. This framework positions innovation capability as a multidimensional construct incorporating knowledge management capability, technological capability, collaboration and networking capability, dynamic capabilities, and digital transformation maturity. By linking intrapreneurship to innovation capability and ultimately to public value outcomes, the model advances the theoretical understanding of how leadership contributes to organizational adaptability and modernization. This study concludes by outlining implications for leadership development, administrative reform, and digital transformation, while identifying opportunities for future empirical research to test and refine the proposed relationships.

Enhancing Strategy Planning Using AI

2026-03-16T10:19:38+03:00

A productive approach to integrating strategic Foresight and machine learning is the Generalized Strategic Foresight Model embedding Machine Learning Operations (MLOps) (GSF(M)²), a unified governance architecture that combines the interpretive depth of long-term scenario-based Foresight with the adaptivity of real-time machine learning pipelines. The model addresses structural deficiencies in existing decision-making systems, where Foresight methods generate anticipatory insights but lack operationalization mechanisms, while machine learning algorithms automate processes but ignore strategic and participatory context as well as socio-organizational specificity. A systematic literature review following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) methodology (16 publications in each block—Foresight and machine learning lifecycle) identified methodological gaps in both fields when compared against reference architectures. GSF(M)² synthesizes the strengths of both approaches by embedding Foresight logic into adaptive machine learning processes and integrating automated feedback loops into scenario planning. The result is a continuously learning ecosystem that recalibrates scenarios, model parameters, and strategic options in real time. The synthesis of anticipatory analytics, continuous horizon scanning, and data-driven prioritization enhances policymaking effectiveness and institutional agility under conditions of international and technological uncertainty. GSF(M)² represents the first dual-core framework for the co-evolution of strategic Foresight and adaptive algorithms within a unified reflexive governance architecture.

Bridging Academia and Industry: Global Practices of Industrial PhD Programs and Pathways for Russian Adaptation

2026-03-17T10:36:36+03:00

In the context of intensifying global technological competition and the imperative of achieving scientific and technological sovereignty for the Russian Federation, the exploration of novel formats for training highly qualified personnel assumes critical significance. One promising trajectory in this domain is the Industrial PhD — a framework designed to conduct research in the service of industrial needs, with active collaboration between universities and businesses, underpinned by state support. This model offers a means to bridge the institutional divide between academic research and the applied challenges of the real economy, thereby fostering knowledge transfer and enhancing the innovation capacities of enterprises.

This article provides a comprehensive overview of international experiences with Industrial PhD programs, drawing on an analysis of over sixty programs across nineteen countries. We synthesize a range of organizational and financial models, and identify institutional preconditions essential for the sustainability of such programs: tripartite agreements among the university, the industrial partner, and the doctoral candidate; mechanisms of co-funding; systems of dual academic supervision; and flexible arrangements governing intellectual property. Particular attention is devoted to mapping the barriers and challenges encountered by program participants — such as divergent goal-setting between academic and corporate sectors, conflicting expectations, administrative burdens, and risks to academic autonomy. Furthermore, this article outlines potential pathways for adapting the Industrial PhD model in the Russian context. Key conditions for successful implementation are examined: the launch of pilot initiatives at leading technical universities; the development of a robust legal framework to support tripartite interaction; and the institutionalization of state support mechanisms.

Exploring the Relationship between Knowledge and Power in Transformative Education: A Case Study of African Contexts

2026-03-19T23:00:42+03:00

The accelerating pace of global change, digital innovation, and ecological crisis has prompted growing demands for a rethinking of education’s foundational purposes. This paper explores the complex relationship between knowledge and power in the context of transformative education, emphasizing how power relations shape what counts as legitimate knowledge, whose voices are included, and how educational institutions contribute to (or resist) social transformation. Drawing on critical pedagogy, post-structuralist theory, and decolonial epistemologies, this analysis critiques the traditional university model grounded in linear knowledge transfer and disciplinary silos. It advocates for a reflexive paradigm that repositions educators as co-creators of knowledge, working collaboratively across institutional, disciplinary, and social boundaries. The aim is to critically examine how power is exercised and negotiated within contemporary educational systems, and to explore pathways for constructing more inclusive and future-oriented models of knowledge. Special attention is given to how digital transformation can be used not merely as a tool of efficiency, but as an instrument for redistributing epistemic authority and cultivating civic agency. Grounded in examples from African higher education systems, this analysis foregrounds tensions between innovation and inequality, and between institutional inertia and foresight. This paper invites a broader conversation about the ethical, political, and pedagogical responsibilities of education in the 21st century and contributes to the evolving discourse on transformative education by offering a vision rooted in epistemic justice, participatory knowledge-making, and socially responsive learning ecosystems.