The Emerging Trends of STI Policy

In the recent years, there have been a consensus formed over the new trends of innovation policy in the making which are more complex and extensive compared to neo-classic and evolutionary schools. This paper aims to review some of these trends in the context of STI policy theories, and more specifically, to focus on one of them which is set to bring forth new theoretical paradigm to meet environmental challenges. In a comparative studies, the common and distinct characteristics of the new paradigm are pointed out and then, the paper proceeds to explain its policy rationale, governance layers, actors and policy actions. And finally, it conducts the application of this framework on the case of study of water policy in Iran. The paper concludes the neoclassic and evolutionary paradigms designing STI policy with the aim of economic growth cannot be suitable for the framework by which the water policy analysis and the water policy needs the new paradigm of transition failure within which the directionality, demand, coordination and reflexive failure are the rationales for policy making.