Ruud
Smits (Venlo, 1950) studied physics at the University of
Eindhoven (1972) and got training in system dynamics at
the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Dartmouth
College. He was active as teacher in physics, freelance
researcher in the area of technology, economy and society,
member of the Social Systems Working Group of the University
of Nijmegen, part-time professor ‘Technology, policy and
society’ at the University of Tilburg and spent the second
half of 1995 as visiting fellow at the Foreward Studies
Unit, the think tank of the chairman of the European Commission.
The largest part of his career he spent with the TNO-Centre
for Technology and Policy Studies. From 1988 till 1996 he
acted as director of TNO-CTPS. Since 1999 he is full time
professor ‘Technology and Innovation, more in particular
the management of innovation processes’ in the Department
of Innovation Studies of the University of Utrecht. Furthermore
Ruud Smits is director of 'Smits Innovation Consultancy'
and associate of 'Dialogic', a young and innovative consultancy
firm involved in interactive strategy- and policy development
in the area of innovation in services and E-commerce.
Ruud
Smits acts as chairman of the Department of Innovation Studies
and is member of the board of the Copernicus Research institute
for Sustainable Development and Innovation. He is member
of several committees dealing with research- and policy
issues in the field of innovation. He furthermore is co-founder
and associate editor of the International Journal of Foresight
and Innovation Policy.
The
focus of his work is on management of innovation processes,
the development of more user-oriented types of innovation
policy and -management, technology assessment and the development
of instruments that facilitate the participation of relevant
actors in decision-making processes on innovation and on
the dynamics of innovation systems (transitions, systemic
instruments, relation between processes and systems).
Five
selected publications:
Smits
R., A. Leyten & P. den Hertog (1995), 'Technology Assessment
and technology policy in Europe: new concepts, new goals,
new infrastructures.', in: Policy Sciences (28), 272-299.
Smits,
R. (2000) ‘Innovatie in de universiteit’, [Innovation in
the university], inaugural speech , University of Utrecht
(English version available).
Smits,
R. (2002) ‘The new role of strategic intelligence’, in:
A. Tubke, K. Ducatel, J. Gavigan & P. Moncada-Paternò-Castello
(eds) Strategic Policy Intelligence: current trends, the
state of play and perspectives, IPTS Technical Report Series,
EUR 20137 EN, IPTS, Seville.
Smits,
R. (2002) ‘Innovation studies in the 21st century. Questions
from a users perspective’, in: Technological Forecasting
and Social Change, Volume 69, Issue 9, pp. 861-883.
Smits,
R. & Kuhlmann (2004) ‘The rise of systemic instruments
in innovation policy’, in: The International Journal of
Foresight and Innovation Policy, Vol. 1, no 1/2, p.4-32.
