• Journal of Technology Innovation
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.17-45
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• 2017

This article reviews studies on the societal challenge and technological innovation. Technological innovation in response to social problems is a relatively recent topic of Innovation Studies. Socially-oriented innovations and policies are different in terms of the goals, innovation processes, and ecosystems when compared with industrial innovation. This study examines the existing research that discusses science and technology innovation from the viewpoint of solving societal problems and discusses the direction of future research. This paper presents major research issues on the characteristics of innovation in societal problem solving, innovation governance, roles and ecosystem of innovators, and relationship between societal problem solving policies and other policies.

• Journal of Korea Technology Innovation Society
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.1-27
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• 2019

This study deals with the changes in the government-funded research institutes (GRI) in terms of 'responding to social challenges and turning to the institutes that are pursuing sustainability transition'. The newly established societal problem-solving R&D projects in GRIs are core experiments for the transition. In order to discuss about the prospect of transition of GRIs, this study used focus group interview approach. In the interview, the GRIs's stance on the societal problem-solving R&D projects, and its process, problems and the policy direction had been discussed. It is suggested that the necessity of transition is discussed and transition experiments are proceeding on a small scale, but experiments are still underway in the existing framework. In order to facilitate the transition in GRIs, it is necessary to carry out the experiment and the vision making work from the inside the GRI.

• Journal of Science and Technology Studies
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.191-227
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• 2015

The supply-driven innovation system is encountering its limitation. At the same time, the needs for solving societal challenges occurring in people's lives are growing. Social problem-solving R&D programs have been attracting attention as a countermeasure to satisfy these needs. It is important to understand the social context of the occurring problems as well as the users facing the social challenges. Therefore, social problem-solving R&D programs have to explore the social challenge and users' needs, with emphasis on the collaboration with researchers and users in the development and implementation process. This study carries out comparative analysis between 'Korean Citizen-driven R&D project' and 'Japanese Research institute of Science and Technology for Society (RISTEX)' concerning goals, construction of program, and promotion processes. The two cases are similar regarding the objectives of social problem-solving and the strategy for user participation. However, there are differences between the characteristics of the projects and promotion processes. The RISTEX is performing social problem-solving R&D with a much wider perspectives than the Korean project. This is because the Korean project maintained the existing R&D system with the lens of the supply-driven system, even when approaching social problem-solving. Therefore, this limitation should be overcome by adopting support systems discarding the supply-driven perspective, through substantiality of user participation, maintenance of legal system, and commercialization of technologies.

• Journal of Science and Technology Studies
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.111-136
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• 2013

Meeting and solving persistent societal problems and challenges through science, technology, and innovation is now an emerging policy agenda in Korea. This socially-oriented innovation needs integrated approach on technological and social innovation. This study aims to suggest the necessity of new process named 'socio-technical planning' and propose its characteristics and implications. It deals with some cases of socio-technical planning activity and classifies their characteristics and types. And then, this study suggests the direction of socio-technical planning development.

• Journal of Science and Technology Studies
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.233-267
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• 2018

This paper examines three perspectives on science and technology innovation that are aiming at resolving the social problems. Based on the relationship between technocratic experts and civil society in the process of social problem solving innovation, we will discuss 1) expert-centered approach, 2) citizen-centered approach, and 3) expert-citizen collaboration approach. After summarizing these three perspectives, we suggest the direction of development of science and technology innovation policies that solve social problems. It is necessary to identify the social problem solving type innovation policy as a strategic niche for the transformation of the innovation policy, and to develop the future direction in the following ways: 1) deepening the collaborative approach, 2) introducing the sustainability transition approach, and 3) reconstructing the innovation policy using new concept of innovation.

• Interdisciplinary Bio Central
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.6.1-6.4
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• 2009

We stand at the brink of a fundamental change in how medicine will be practiced. Over the next 5-20 years medicine will move from being largely reactive to being predictive, personalized, preventive and participatory (P4). Technology and new scientific strategies have always been the drivers of revolutions and this is certainly the case for P4 medicine, where a systems approach to disease, new and emerging technologies and powerful computational tools will open new windows for the investigation of disease. Systems approaches are driving the emergence of fascinating new technologies that will permit billions of measurements on each individual patient. The challenge for health information technology will be how to reduce this enormous amount of data to simple hypotheses about health and disease. We predict that emerging technologies, together with the systems approaches to diagnosis, therapy and prevention will lead to a down turn in the escalating costs of healthcare. In time we will be able to export P4 medicine to the developing world and it will become the foundation of global medicine. The "democratization" of healthcare will come from P4 medicine. Its first real emergence will require the unprecedented integration of biology, medicine, technology and computation. as well as societal issues of major importance: ethical, regulatory, public policy, economic, and others. In order to effectively move the P4 scientific agenda forward new strategic partnerships are now being created with the large-scale integration of complementary skills, technologies, computational tools, patient records and samples and analysis of societal issues. It is evident that the business plans of every sector of the healthcare industry will need to be entirely transformed over the next 10 years.and the extent to which this will be done by existing companies as opposed to newly created companies is a fascinating question.

• Journal of Science and Technology Studies
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.63-89
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• 2016

The purpose of this article is to re-interpretate 'Post Catch-up Studies' on the Korean innovation system with the framework of 'Transition Studies'. The viewpoints of the vision, research area and system innovation process of Post Catch-up studies are reviewed and reconfigurated. The Transition Studies concepts of Sustainability, Coevolution of industry and society, and transition management are introduced into the Post-catch up Studies and discussed. It is suggested that Post catch-up studies should support sustainability system transition and make use of transition management tools for the sustainable post catch-up innovation and policy.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.442-449
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• 2017

Risk management of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station decommissioning is a great challenge. In the present study, a risk management framework has been developed for the decommissioning work. It is applied to fuel assembly retrieval from Unit 3 spent fuel pool. Whole retrieval work is divided into three phases: preparation, retrieval, and transportation and storage. First of all, the end point has been established and the success path has been developed. Then, possible threats, which are internal/external and technical/societal/management, are identified and selected. "What can go wrong?" is a question about the failure scenario. The likelihoods and consequences for each scenario are roughly estimated. The whole decommissioning project will continue for several decades, i.e., long-term perspective is important. What should be emphasized is that we do not always have enough knowledge and experience of this kind. It is expected that the decommissioning can make steady and good progress in support of the proposed risk management framework. Thus, risk assessment and management are required, and the process needs to be updated in accordance with the most recent information and knowledge on the decommissioning works.

• Journal of Technology Innovation
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.85-110
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• 2019

This study examines the social problem-solving R&D policies from the perspective of 'Mission-oriented innovation policy'. To this end, we analyzed the 'second science and technology-based social problem solving plan' in terms of civil society's participation, securing the government's dynamic capabilities, and government's risk investments. The plan introduces an institutional framework for civic participation for social problem-solving innovation, strengthening R&D program coordination and integration, and new innovation ecosystem formation. However, there is a need for a concrete program to overcome a path dependency of existing activities. Otherwise new institutions are likely to be formalized. In addition, in order to derive risk investment, it is necessary to integrate innovation policy with social policy fields such as community care and climate change. It is necessary to establish an policy process that combines the agenda of social policy beyond with R & D policy, and to forms a platform for problem solving, integrates various technologies, industries and resources.

• Journal of Science and Technology Studies
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.163-189
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• 2015

While Science tries to be far from Society, it actually does yearn for the trust from Society, on the other side. Its efforts getting back the trust has been witnessed with its fast evolution, consistent distrust from Society and Scientists' accountability with investment of public fund. Furthermore, many scholars have argued that there is the need to integrate science and society. In this regards, this paper explores how to integrate both spheres by participatory evaluation. To identify how the participatory evaluation works and should be, three main issues are mentioned. One is about evaluation methods; Objective-oriented and Behaviour aspects. Second is about prerequisite factors; sharing scientific language and changed recognition between civil society and scientists. Third is about challenge to be tackled; epistemological gap among evaluators and complex index. Under these issues, this paper sets out that the participatory evaluation should adopt the appropriate evaluation methodology. Last but not least, self-recognition and motivation by evaluators themselves are important factors, along with societal system which can take participatory evaluation.