This is achieved through systematic, interdisciplinary research and activities aimed at collaboration and the co-creation of knowledge and policy. RIST works closely with actors in industry, the public sector and the policy support system, and engages both regional and international partners in research and development activities.
A central task for RIST is to contribute to advancing knowledge on transformations in industries and societies, including how such processes emerge, evolve and can be shaped in response to major societal challenges. This involves developing insights into how new development paths take form, the driving forces behind them, and how policy, entrepreneurship and leadership are embedded in these processes.
Selected research themes
1. Organisations and work in transformation
Research in this area focuses on how organisations in both the private and public sectors manage processes of transformation. This includes how competencies are developed, how work is organised, and how leadership and practices adapt to new demands arising from technological, economic and societal change.
2. Industrial and regional transformation
Research activities focus on how industries develop and transform over time, including processes of emergence, transformation and decline. This includes studies of how innovation and entrepreneurship contribute to the creation of new development paths, and how actors, knowledge, technologies and institutions interact in the evolution of both new and existing industries. Research on regional development paths and transformation processes is also a key priority within this area.
3. Policy and governance of transformation
This research examines how policies, policy instruments and institutional frameworks influence transformation processes. A central concern is how policy can be designed to support desired development paths, and how interactions between different actors contribute to shaping the direction and pace of transformations.