Innovation policy development for sustainable fisheries in the Global South: from R&D to system transformation

Abstract

The goal of this study is to explore the emergence of different Frames for innovation policy in relation to social and environmental challenges like those posed by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We suggest and use an analytical framework based on the three Frames for Innovation Policy proposed by Schot and Steinmueller (2018a, “Three frames for innovation policy: R&D, systems of innovation and transformative change.” Research Policy 47 (9): 1554–1567) to analyse two specific dimensions of innovation policy: the justification for policy intervention (type of failure) and the focus of intervention (mechanism for change). The shift from R&D and regulation towards system transformation is illustrated through a case study of a local agri-food industry in the Global South: the Mayan octopus fishery in the Yucatan region of Mexico. The case study evidence suggests that the emergence of different Frames did not follow a linear sequence and there are overlapping and ‘hybrid’ policies. The findings also suggest that Frame 3 initiatives require or emerge from Frame 1 or Frame 2 policy interventions.