Creating an interaction space for science diplomacy: meta-governance principles in action

This paper studies the structures and characteristics of informal networks between national innovation policy makers. Recent years have seen increasing interest in innovation networks, but until now there has been limited knowledge on how different proximities shape the informal networks between policy makers and its potential consequences. This study looks at the 28 EU innovation policy directors and the resulting 756 possible connections between them. I first use social network analysis to map the structures of the informal networks between policy makers. Then I use logistic regressions to test three types of proximities: geographical, policy-related and cultural. Distinguishing between asymmetric and symmetric ties, I find a centre-periphery pattern for the former and a three-fold cluster structure for the latter. Regarding proximities, I find that geographical and cultural proximity matter for both kinds if tie, but a similar level of innovation performance only predicts a symmetric tie. These findings provide a useful insight on possible cross-border learning, as we see policy-makers reaching beyond their ‘natural’ peers in search of new knowledge. As such, the proximities in informal networks have potential implications for learning and require continued attention from national and international organisations alike in order to facilitate knowledge flows between countries.