Communication as intermediation for socio-technical innovation

The academic interest in ‘science and technology communication’ has
evolved from different societal domains and fields of application, giving rise
to different scholarly traditions. This contribution introduces current issues
and agendas in a field that has its origin at the interface of (agricultural)
innovation studies, rural development sociology and the communication
sciences. The paper starts with a brief sketch of the history of the field.
When compared to earlier approaches, current thinking about
‘communication, innovation and development’ pays greater attention to
limitations in the potential of orchestrating change and innovation in
pre-planned directions, and to political and institutional dimensions of both
communication and innovation. In relation to this, new lines of questioning
are discussed. The article ends with a reflection on the usefulness of the
thinking from different historical periods today. It is argued that approaches
to science and technology communication need to be matched with the
level of complexity of the issue at hand.