This paper presents a qualitative content analysis of policy documents (n=28) from the US and EU (2000-2018) to examine how the "translational lag narrative"—the idea that clinical innovation lags behind basic science—is articulated in policy discourse. The analysis reveals key impediments to clinical translation and highlights differences in sociotechnical imaginaries between the US and EU. US discourse focuses on reinstating linearity in the knowledge-to-innovation process, while EU discourse emphasizes constructing a European model of economic growth centered on a knowledge-based economy.

Erik Aarden, Luca Marelli, Alessandro Blasimme