Transformative Innovation Policy Consortium (TIPC)

What Transformative Innovation Policy Consortium (TIPC) does

TIPC is a global, non-commercial policy research consortium established in 2016 that convenes science, technology and innovation (STI) policymakers, funders and researchers to develop and operationalize a Transformative Innovation Policy (TIP) framework aimed at addressing societal and environmental challenges rather than economic growth alone. The consortium is coordinated by the Science Policy Research Unit (SPRU) at the University of Sussex Business School in partnership with INGENIO CSIC-UPV (Spain) and Utrecht University's UGlobe (Netherlands), and operates three regional hubs: the Transformative Innovation Africa Hub (TIAH, anchored at Future Africa, University of Pretoria), the Latin American Hub (coordinated by INGENIO), and the TRIP-EuHub (jointly with Eu-SPRI).

Its core intellectual products are four frameworks — the Three Frames for Innovation Policy (Schot and Steinmueller, distinguishing Frame 1 R&D, Frame 2 National Systems of Innovation, and Frame 3 Transformative Change), the Transformative Outcomes compass (12 outcomes across three transformation streams), the Formative Evaluation-based TIPC Methodology, and the Pentagonal Mapping Framework for systems analysis — packaged as the online TIP Resource Lab (tipresourcelab.net). All outputs are open-access. TIPC also houses the Deep Transitions Lab, an initiative exploring intersections of public and private investment with system change.

TIPC's business model is non-commercial; there is no pricing model and no revenue from products or services. Income derives from member country and partner institutional contributions and from research grants such as Canada's IDRC funding for TIP Africa exploratory research. The core professional team is 4-6 FTE based at SPRU, supported by directors and fellows across regional hubs. Customers/stakeholders are government STI ministries, national research foundations, academic researchers, and implementing agencies (e.g., South African DSI, NRF, SANBI; Kenyan NACOSTI; Ghanaian CSIR-STEPRI; University of Dakar). Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven: workshops, engagement weeks, annual conferences (e.g., Eu-SPRI 2026 in Valencia), web/digital digest dissemination, and regional hub capacity building across 11+ member countries and 14+ African nations.

Name

Transformative Innovation Policy Consortium (TIPC)

Legal name

Transformative Innovation Policy Consortium (TIPC)

Website

https://tipconsortium.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

TIPC is a global non-commercial policy research consortium, established in 2016, that convenes science and innovation policymakers, funders, and researchers across 11+ countries to develop and apply a Transformative Innovation Policy framework.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Brighton, East Sussex

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership and Institutional Contributions: TIPC operates through contributions from member countries and partner institutions including national research foundations, government agencies, and universities that participate in the consortium.
2. Research Grants and Development Funding: Funded by international development partners such as Canada's International Development Research Centre (IDRC) for specific programs like the Africa Hub exploratory research.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

TIPC is a non-commercial global policy research consortium that develops and disseminates Transformative Innovation Policy (TIP) frameworks, methodologies, and tools to help governments, funders, and researchers shift science, technology and innovation policy toward systemic transformation addressing SDGs. It delivers this through intellectual frameworks (Three Frames, Transformative Outcomes, TIPC Methodology), an online resource platform (TIP Resource Lab), three regional hubs, and cross-country policy experimentation projects.

Product overview

TIPC operates as a global policy consortium rather than a software product company, coordinating a network of science, technology, and innovation policymakers, funders, and researchers. The core offerings include the TIP Resource Lab (practical tools and resources portal), the Deep Transitions Lab (investment-focused initiative), and three regional hubs (Africa Hub/TIAH, Latin American Hub, and TRIP-EuHub). TIPC provides intellectual frameworks including the Three Frames Framework and Transformative Outcomes Framework, along with the TIPC Methodology for policy experimentation. The consortium translates learning into curated tools, actions, and learnings through the TIP Resource Lab, while conducting research and experimentation on transformative innovation policy across member countries including South Africa, Colombia, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Mexico, and associates in China, Brazil, Kenya, Ghana, Senegal, and Panama.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• TIP Resource Lab An online portal offering curated tools, actions, and learnings for implementing Transformative Innovation Policy methods; serves as the connective tissue between TIPC projects, experiments, and geographies worldwide. Targeted at policymakers, researchers, and practitioners seeking to apply TIP approaches.
• Deep Transitions Lab A research and investment initiative focused on understanding and accelerating deep transitions toward sustainability, exploring the intersection of public and private investment for system change. Led by Johan Schot with Diana Velasco as Deputy Director.
• Transformative Innovation Africa Hub (TIAH) A continental network promoting transformative innovation for sustainable development across Africa, partnered with Future Africa at the University of Pretoria, focusing on science as a public good and expanding to 14+ African nations from the initial 3 countries (Senegal, Ghana, Kenya).
• Latin American Hub A regional hub for Latin America and the Caribbean focused on transformative innovation policy, coordinated by INGENIO (CSIC-UPV) under Director Matías Ramírez, and working with countries including Colombia, Panama, and Mexico.
• TRIP-EuHub

Quantifiable outcome

• SDG alignment: Framework explicitly designed to advance Sustainable Development Goals through transformative change
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• Monash University (Australia)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Host of workshop on challenge-led innovation policy in Australia, in collaboration with CSIRO, Fenner School of Environment and Society, and Academy of Social Sciences in Australia.
• CSIRO (Australia)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Collaborating on building social science agenda for challenge-led innovation policy in Australia.
• Eu-SPRI ForummajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026European research network for science and innovation policy. Co-organizes annual conferences and collaborates on the TRIP-EuHub with TIPC.
• Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), South AfricamajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2025Co-coordinator of the Circular Economy in Global South cities initiative alongside DSTI and SENACYT Panama.
• Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI), PanamamajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2025Co-coordinator of the Circular Economy in Global South cities initiative alongside CSIR and SENACYT.
• SENACYT (Panama)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2025Co-coordinator and seed-funder of the Circular Economy in Global South cities initiative.
• Future Africa at University of PretoriacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Host institution for the Transformative Innovation Africa Hub (TIAH). Provides central premises and coordinates African activities for TIPC's regional work.
• South African National Research Foundation (NRF)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Founding member and mentor for TIP Africa Hub. Supports TIPC activities in Africa and coordinates South Africa's participation in the consortium.
• Science Policy Research Unit (SPRU), University of Sussex Business SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016SPRU serves as the coordinating partner for TIPC. Professor Johan Schot, as founder and Academic Director of TIPC, established the consortium through SPRU. SPRU provides the institutional home and research backbone for TIPC's global activities.
• INGENIO CSIC-UPV (Joint Research Centre of Spanish National Research Council and Polytechnic University of Valencia)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016European partner institution co-leading TIPC activities, particularly in hosting the annual conference (e.g., Eu-SPRI 2026) and contributing to the TRIP-EuHub.
• Utrecht University Centre for Global Challenges (UGlobe)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016European partner institution contributing to TIPC's research and hosting activities. Professor Johan Schot holds a position at Utrecht University.
• Deep Transitions LabmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Related initiative co-founded by Johan Schot focusing on deep transitions in modern societies. Collaborates with TIPC on peer learning events, tools, and public-private collaboration on system change.
• Member Countries (Colombia, Finland, Norway, Sweden, South Africa, Mexico)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Full member countries contributing policymakers, researchers, and funding to TIPC. Each country conducts national policy experiments using the TIP framework.
• Associate Countries (Brazil, Panama, China, Kenya, Ghana, Senegal)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Associate member countries participating in TIPC activities. Kenya, Ghana, and Senegal were part of the TIP Africa Hub exploratory phase.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• IIASA (International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis): International research institute applying systems analysis to global challenges such as energy, climate, and development. Comparable as a policy-facing research organization producing frameworks and tools for systemic change.
• Fraunhofer Society: Europe's largest applied research organization, listed as a TRIP-EuHub partner. Comparable as a large-scale research organization bridging policy, applied research, and innovation practice, though commercially oriented.
• OECD Directorate for Science, Technology and Innovation: OECD's STI directorate sets global standards for science and innovation policy (including mission-oriented and transformative approaches). Closely comparable as a thought-leadership and policy advisory body for national STI policymakers, though far larger and not a consortium.
• Future Earth: Global sustainability research network coordinating interdisciplinary research for SDGs. Comparable as a global knowledge community convening researchers, policymakers, and funders around sustainability transitions.
• RAND Corporation: Global policy research nonprofit producing evidence-based research for governments and foundations. Comparable as a nonprofit research consortium delivering policy analysis, frameworks, and advisory services across multiple jurisdictions.

Direct peers

• UNU-MERIT (United Nations University – Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology): UNU-MERIT is a UN-affiliated research and training centre focused on innovation policy, research systems, and transitions. Direct peer in producing frameworks for STI policy reform and capacity building for developing-country policymakers.
• IDRC (International Development Research Centre): Canada's IDRC funds TIPC's Africa Hub and shares a mission of advancing development-focused research and innovation in the Global South. Direct peer in international development research funding and policy experimentation.
• VINNOVA (Sweden's Innovation Agency): Swedish innovation agency and TRIP-EuHub partner. Direct peer as a national-level innovation funder and policy actor experimenting with mission-oriented and transformative approaches.
• SPRU (Science Policy Research Unit, University of Sussex): TIPC's coordinating institution and one of the world's leading innovation policy research groups. Direct peer in producing academic and policy-facing research on innovation policy, transitions, and STI systems.
• Eu-SPRI Forum (European Forum for Studies of Policies for Research and Innovation): European research network for science and innovation policy that co-organizes conferences and co-runs the TRIP-EuHub with TIPC. Direct peer in convening European innovation policy researchers and practitioners.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xbsky.app/profile/tipconsortium.bsky.social
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/transformative-innovation-policy-consortium-tipc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Transformative Innovation Policy Consortium (TIPC)