"We need a smart innovation policy"
In his interview with ETH Corporate Communications, the ISTP Director Tobias Schmidt talked about decarbonisation, the role of technological transformation and his personal journey from engineer to policy researcher.
Schmidt already showed interest in technology and environmental issues at a young age. This attentiveness continued throughout his studies at university where his desire to look beyond the boundaries of his own discipline began to display as well. During his master and doctorate, he realised that "innovations are heavily dependent on the underlying policy framework" which encouraged him to see technological change from a different perspective. As a result, Schmidt slowly turned from a engineer into a public policy researcher.
When he was appointed Director of the Institute of Science, Technology and Policy in the summer of 2021, his interdisciplinary background made the ETH professor the perfect choice. The aim of this rather new institute is to make research at ETH more relevant to policymakers and to provide a platform for interaction between policy and science. This does not only require people with a scientific background and interest in policy but also a constant dialogue between the government and the scientific community. Schmidt hopes that this dialogue can thrive and a mutual trust between these parties can be built and improved.
Tobias Schmidt's research focuses on issues at the interface between climate-friendly technologies, the finance sector and policy-making. A special focus lies on the question how technological innovations emerge in the energy sector, which is a key topic in this article too. Schmidt points out that effective climate policy relies on a smart innovation policy, using the examples of solar power, wind turbines and battery technology.
Read the whole portrait of our Director Prof. Dr. Tobias Schmidt.