Inclusion in innovation policy and strategy: A critical review of current policy priorities towards innovation in the United Kingdom

Parsons, Katherine ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3662-7916 and Pecis, Lara 2026. Inclusion in innovation policy and strategy: A critical review of current policy priorities towards innovation in the United Kingdom. Verduijn, Karen, Berglund, Karin, Kacar, Sibel Ozasir and Olsson, Amelia, eds. Research Handbook on Critical Entrepreneurship Studies, Chltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd, pp. 38-61. (10.4337/9781035331437.00008)

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Abstract

This chapter critically examines how inclusion is articulated within recent UK innovation policies, which increasingly frame innovation as a driver of economic growth and regional development. While the concept of “inclusive innovation” is promoted as a means to benefit marginalised groups, current policy discourse largely adopts an individualistic and neoliberal tone that emphasises upskilling and employability rather than supporting structural inclusion. Through a Critical Discourse Analysis of UK innovation policy documents, we reveal a persistent gap between “innovation” and “inclusion,” with limited instances where these concepts intersect meaningfully. This disconnect, we argue, reflects a paternalistic model that prioritizes productivity and economic targets, and places responsibility on individuals to become entrepreneurial within competitive markets. Such framing neglects broader social dimensions of inclusion and reinforces structural inequalities. We argue for a normative shift in innovation policy that provides a broader framework integrating social and economic goals, and expanding definitions of innovation to encompass diverse industries, practices, and beneficiaries. By problematising the assumptions underpinning current policy discourse, this chapter contributes to debates on inclusive innovation and calls for policies that move beyond economic metrics to foster genuinely inclusive ecosystems.

Item Type:	Book Section
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Schools > Business (Including Economics)
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General)
Publisher:	Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd
ISBN:	978 1 03533 142 0
Related URLs:	Publisher
Last Modified:	09 Oct 2026 11:45
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/190086

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