Suzanne Berger

Suzanne Berger is the John M. Deutch Institute Professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, holding a prestigious position in the Department of Political Science. She co-directs the Initiative for New Manufacturing (INM) and has led significant research projects including the MIT Production in the Innovation Economy (PIE) project. Her academic career includes serving as Head of the MIT Department of Political Science, founding chair of the SSRC Committee on West Europe, and Vice President of the American Political Science Association.

Professor Berger's research spans political economy, comparative politics, globalization, innovation, and production systems. Her work examines how globalization affects political and economic systems, with particular focus on manufacturing and innovation ecosystems. She has conducted extensive research on European politics, French politics, and the historical dimensions of globalization, analyzing how political coalitions form around economic openness and protection.

Her publications reveal a consistent focus on understanding the relationship between production, innovation, and economic competitiveness. Early work examined political development in rural France and interest organization in Western Europe, while more recent research investigates contemporary manufacturing challenges and the political economy of globalization. Her scholarship bridges historical analysis with contemporary policy challenges, particularly regarding how nations maintain competitive advantage in global markets.

• Palmes Academiques from French government
• Chevalier de l'Ordre National du Merite
• Légion d'Honneur
• Member of American Academy of Arts and Sciences

Berger has advised numerous graduate students through the MIT Department of Political Science, teaching courses including Political Economy I, Political Economy of Western Europe, Globalization, and Dissertation Workshops in Comparative Politics. Her research initiatives like the Production in the Innovation Economy project have secured significant institutional support, bringing together faculty and students from engineering, social sciences, life sciences, and management. She created the MIT International Science and Technology Initiative (MISTI) program, which has become a major channel for student international experiences.

As co-director of the Initiative for New Manufacturing (INM), Berger leads a cross-disciplinary team of engineers, social scientists, and economists working to transform manufacturing. Her work with the Production in the Innovation Economy project established important connections between academic research and industrial practice, examining how manufacturing capabilities relate to innovation capacity in the United States.