Science Diplomacy in Germany and Switzerland: Introducing and Comparing 'Science and Innovation Centres' as a Novel Policy Instrument

This paper focusses on science and innovation centres (SIC), an under researched policy instrument in the science diplomacy toolbox ((cf. Berg, 2010; Epping, 2018). Science and innovation centers are, in short, satellite institutes, established by governments abroad, operating at the intersection of higher education, research, innovation and diplomacy. As such, they have the promotion of the national research, education and innovation system at their heart and aim to facilitate scientific exchange and building bridges between countries. The goal of this paper is twofold. Primarily, SIC will be introduced as a new policy instrument which as been implemented by highly innovative countries, amongst others Denmark, Germany, the United Kingdom and Switzerland. The paper adopts a comparative approach and presents findings for SIC in Switzerland (swissnex) and Germany (Centers for Research and Innovation). Drawing on original qualitative expert interview data which has been supplemented by document analysis, initial insights on this novel organizational form are generated. In particular, answers are given to the following questions. 1. “What are science and innovation centres, how are they institutionalized and governed?”, 2. “What are the (political) rationales for SIC?” and 3. “Why can SIC be considered a case of science diplomacy?”. In providing initial answers to these questions, the second goal of the paper is to contribute to the ongoing conceptualization of the notion of science diplomacy (cf. The Royal Society & AAAS, 2010) as a new concept for public policy and a novel paradigm in higher education and foreign policy making. Science diplomacy assumes a mutually beneficial and facilitating relationship between science and diplomacy or foreign affairs in that case. By turning to SIC, empirical insights are generated for a much needed (cf. Rüffin & Schreiterer, 2017; Rungius, 2018) conceptualization of the still fluid concept of science diplomacy (cf. van Langenhove, 2016).