Editorial: Science, Policy, and Advice. Lasting Tensions in a Symbiotic Relationship

Abstract

In recent years, discussions around scientific expertise and its relevance for policy making have heightened. In Austria, too, significant steps have been taken to address the role of scientific advice and its relation to science and innovation policy as well as sectoral policies. Austrian legislators have been restructuring science and innovation policy advice by merging two existing councils into FORWIT. At the same time, European efforts to better understand, and improve, science-for-policy ecosystems have begun to resonate across various policy fields. And last year, when we started to think about this special issue more concretely, the then-new government in Austria announced its plan to conduct a system evaluation of the Austrian research and innovation policy landscape.