Rainer Kattel

Rainer Kattel is a Professor of Innovation and Public Governance at the University College London (UCL) Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose (IIPP), where he also serves as Deputy Director. His academic journey includes a BA in political philosophy (1996), MA in Classics (1998), and PhD in Public Administration (2001) from the University of Tartu, Estonia.

• Fields of Research: Innovation Policy, Political Science, Applied Economics, Digital Transformation

His research focuses on the organizational and institutional dimensions of innovation, particularly how governments can balance agility and stability to become entrepreneurial states. He explores digital transformation in public sectors across Estonia, the UK, and Italy, and has authored the book How to Make an Entrepreneurial State (Yale University Press).

Recent publications highlight his work on mission-oriented innovation policies, dynamic capabilities in city governments, and the role of public bureaucracies in driving transformative change. He co-developed UCL's MPA Creative Bureaucracies module and has supervised over ten PhD theses.

• Scientific Awards: Estonian National Science Award (2013), Alena Brunovska Award for Teaching Excellence (2014)

Kattel holds an adjunct professorship at Tallinn University of Technology’s Ragnar Nurkse School of Innovation and Governance, which he led for a decade. He chairs Estonia’s Gender Equality Council and advises the OECD, UNDP, and European Commission on public policy frameworks.