Implications of the Problem-oriented Innovation System (PIS) in the evolution of innovation policy; Case study of problem historical resolution process in US earthquake and South Korea's digital divide

Innovation system studies have increased significantly over the past decades and various approaches have been presented in the literature; consequently, innovation policies have undergone substantial changes in the context of each period. Most of these approaches have focused on the development of technological innovation for purely economic purposes. Resolving macro-level societal problems based on the innovation system, called “Problem-oriented Innovation System (PIS)”, has recently been introduced in the related literature and has opened a new path for economic and social development of countries. Implementation of this framework by policymakers will serve as the basis for developing problem-oriented innovation policy for the problems or challenges facing society. To this end, this paper, while presenting the historical evolution of innovation policies, introduces analytical framework of “Problem-oriented Innovation System” as a comprehensive approach to analyzing technical and social innovation processes for resolving large scale problems with the aim of providing a basis for problem-oriented innovation policy. Finally, we analyze two case studies (the problem resolution systems of US earthquake and the digital divide in South Korea) based on the “Event History Analysis” strategy.