Chris Freeman's Enduring Contribution to the Economics of Innovation

<strong>Centre for Studies in Science Policy School of Social Sciences </strong> Organized <strong>First Chris Freeman Annual Lecture on</strong> <strong>"Chris Freeman's Enduring Contribution to the Economics of Innovation"</strong> By <strong>Professor Mammo Muchie</strong> <strong>About Professor Chris Freeman</strong> Prof. Christopher Freeman (1921-2010), who died on August 16th aged 88, was a pioneer of the research field known as "innovation studies". He was passionate in his belief that technology and innovation could make the world a better place, and that the "dismal science" of economics could be transformed into "the economics of hope". In 1966 Freeman was invited to set up a Science Policy Research Unit (SPRU) at Sussex University, where, working with Geoffrey Oldham, he quickly built up an impressive array of talented researchers. In 1974 Freeman published The Economics of Industrial Innovation, which was to be the definitive textbook on the subject for the next 30 years. Along with colleagues in SPRU and Germany, Freeman founded the journal Research Policy, editing it for the next 30 years and establishing it as the pre-eminent journal in the field. In 1992 he published The Economics of Hope, and in 2001 he and Francisco Louça brought out As Time Goes By, revisiting and revising his ideas on long-term economic change. In 2003, SPRU moved into a new building, which was named the Freeman Centre in his honour. Freeman was awarded the Bernal Prize and the Schumpeter Prize. (The Telegraph, 7th September 2010). <strong>About Speaker:</strong> Prof. Mammo Muchie is a DST/NRF Research Professor of Innovation Studies at the Institute for Economic Research on Innovation, Tshwane University of Technology, South Africa; and Senior Research Associate at the TMCD Centre, University of Oxford, UK. He completed his doctoral study under the supervision of Prof. Chris Freeman. <strong>Date: Friday, 31st July 2015</strong>