Bridging paradigms: the what, why and how of integrating the doing-using-interacting mode into innovation policy

A growing body of empirical literature highlights the importance of the doing-using-interacting (DUI) mode and its relationship with the science, technology and innovation (STI) mode for learning and innovation at firm and regional levels. However, this evidence has not yet been matched by a coherent innovation policy framework that clarifies the objectives, rationales and governance logics of DUI-oriented innovation policy. To address this gap, the paper develops a structured framework identifying three core policy objectives: strengthening organizational learning within firms, enabling interactive knowledge generation and fostering productive interfaces and context-sensitive configurations across DUI- and STI-related learning dimensions. The paper then examines how these objectives relate to the rationales for public intervention underlying three major innovation policy paradigms: science and technology policy, innovation systems policy and transformative innovation policy. Our analysis shows that, although each of these paradigms provides a distinct justification for supporting DUI-related learning, they converge around a shared set of governance targets that constitute a common operational layer of innovation policy. The resulting framework provides an analytical lens for understanding the role of the DUI mode in innovation policy and its interaction with STI-oriented policy approaches. The paper concludes with implications for policy and future research.