Welcome to the Innovation Policy Lab (IPL), a global research hub on innovation policy
The Innovation Policy Lab (IPL) is a hub within the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy whose mission is to study, teach, and apply novel methods and disciplines to the study of innovation and its impact on growth and society.
Bringing together teams of researchers from multiple schools and departments at the University of Toronto, as well as from other institutions in countries across the globe, the IPL focuses on core questions in a number of areas including innovation and growth, innovation and inequality, globalization and innovation, social innovation, new technologies and their impact on society, innovation in traditional industries, and arts and innovation. Since our aim is not only to advance basic research but also to effect change, we pay particular attention to the role of public policy in nurturing innovation, while at the same time enhancing its positive impacts on society and limiting its negative consequences.
The research and teaching at the IPL are experimental, utilizing historical research, fieldwork, surveys, advanced econometrics, case studies and ethnography. We believe that different questions are better answered using a variety of research techniques and that those who study innovation need to adopt innovative and experimental approaches.
For those reasons, our teaching and educational methodologies are highly varied and changing, ranging from seminars to teaching courses that aim to immerse our students within the context of particular places and organizations. To do this effectively, the IPL faculty closely partner with a wide range of public and private organizations to co-produce educational experiences that provide a competitive edge to our students while having a real impact on innovation policy around the world.
