In recent years, research and innovation policy has been increasingly challenged to contribute to addressing societal ambitions. The perceived urgency of these challenges and the lack of satisfaction with the current set of policy approaches and instruments led to the recent resurgence of so-called mission-oriented policy approaches. The nature of the present challenges asks for new types of mission-oriented policies, though. While traditional mission-oriented policies were often aiming at a set of narrowly defined areas or large-scale projects with clear targets, to be achieved in cooperation by a restricted range of actors, the new type of mission-oriented policy aims at transformations at the systems level (e.g. of energy, transport, housing and other - often intertwined - systems), with much more open goals and involving a much wider range of actors and stakeholders as well as citizens.
The directionality associated with mission orientation implies a more active role for government in coordinating and formulating goals, brings together different groups of actors at different levels (local, regional, national, supranational), and entails the need to develop new means of cooperation and coordination. While on the conceptual and programmatic level, quite some progress can be seen, the concrete implementation of mission-oriented policy is still in its infancy in most countries. This also holds for the European level.
In the preparation of Horizon Europe, missions along five mission-areas have been proposed for implementation: 1. Cancer, 2. adaptation to climate change including societal transformation, 3. healthy oceans, seas coastal and inland waters, 4. climate-neutral and smart cities, 5. soil health and food. These missions now face the challenge of being implemented in the best possible manner(s), at the same time capitalizing on the recent progress in conceptualising mission-oriented policy and drawing on experiences from current processes across the mission areas as well as countries and regions.
Currently many activities at European and national level are underway to make the implementation of the five EU missions successful: The first mission work programme were launched, Mission Boards are active, and member states have started to design and implement corresponding national, regional and local governance processes. Strategic and operative discussions between RTI and sectoral policy fields are in progress. At national and regional level the analysis of existing funding initiatives regarding their mission potential has been started and more mission-oriented calls are launched or in preparation. Experience shows there is no universally applicable, one-size-fit-all implementation model. Characteristics of challenges, goal definitions, actors, and policy instruments (and their mix) differ between the mission areas. In addition, each country has its own institutional frames that define its ‘policy trajectory’ and its policy approaches. These have to be taking into account when proposing implementation frameworks and strategies.
The overall objective of the TRAMI project is to foster the cooperation and coordination between EU-level actions and complementary national, regional and local actions in support of the implementation of missions. Accordingly TRAMI aims to:
• support the alignment and coordination between national, regional and local initiatives;
• exchange best practice on how complementary policy efforts and related funding can contribute;
• facilitate the engagement of regional and local actors in support of EU-level or national activities;
• map the relevant stakeholders, which are key actors to support the implementation of missions;
• map different existing funding streams and explore respective possibilities of mobilisation and combination;
• prepare for potential hubs at national level: The TRAMI CORE NETWORK;
• develop the basis for a governance model supporting the implemention of missions;
• raise awareness and to engage and mobilise key stakeholders and citizens to actively participate.
