Why Innovation Labs?
Organizations all around the world are increasingly interested in creating dedicated spaces to foster innovation processes. Since the 2000s, companies, universities, non-profit organizations, communities and even governments have opted to have their own “lab”. These particular spaces have become very popular as they are seen as manifestations of change, sources of inspiration and beacons of hope in a rapidly changing and demanding world.
However, concerns driven by misperceptions often appear when it is asked “what makes an innovation lab”. This could lead to an identity crisis in which, in some cases, the concerned parties refer to them as “innovation gadgets”, isolated places to do “cool stuff” and measured by “vanity metrics”. As hosts of our own innovation labs, we have witnessed the potential that these collaborative platforms can offer on the path towards the transformation of our territories and societies. And at the same time, we are aware of the challenge of operating and sustaining them.
That is why we believe that by studying innovation labs, sharing experiences and understanding how they are being managed, we can contribute to the consolidation of inspiring spaces where people can connect with each other, enhance their creative thinking, make use of new technologies and demonstrate systemic solutions to societal challenges.
Research Goal
The aim of this research project is to propose an enabling methodological approach for the strategic intent design of innovation laboratories based on their context and organizational capabilities.
Ultimately, we seek to collectively build new knowledge on practices and experiences on the way in which spaces have been implemented to support the processes of innovation and creativity. In this way, we hope for lab host teams to find a source of inspiration for empowering the management of their collaborative platform.
[Ongoing] International study on Innovation Labs
Do you want to contribute to this research? Please, share you experience in designing and managing your lab!
Be part of our international study on innovation labs. We propose the following questionnaire as a prototype of a strategic self-assessment tool for lab managers. Feel free to do it in the language of your preference:
English: https://enquetes.univ-lorraine.fr/index.php/238264?lang=en
French: https://enquetes.univ-lorraine.fr/index.php/238264?lang=fr
Spanish: https://enquetes.univ-lorraine.fr/index.php/238264?lang=es
By answering this survey, you will reflect on your lab’s journey allowing you to identify new strategies and/or improvement areas for the future. Through this you are contributing to unfolding innovation labs’ capabilities, as well as to the identification of their evolutionary stages.
Current Research
Management of Innovation Laboratories: An enabling methodological approach for strategic intent design
Since several years now, there has been a proliferation of prodigious spaces for fostering creativity and innovation. Governments, companies, universities, and communities are turning to the implementation of innovation labs as the places where innovation processes are expected to be enhanced through open and agile forms of collaboration. However, past experiences have shown that these initiatives are at risk of not succeeding in their goals. Although multiple studies have explored the innovation lab phenomenon from various perspectives, there is still a gap in understanding what their capabilities are and how they perform. Then, this thesis intends to establish a strategic-oriented methodological approach for guiding the process of design and management of an innovation lab. Firstly, building from existent theory, a maturity grid-based assessment tool is proposed and subsequently tested through an international survey. Complementary, a multi-case study is set around three cases in order to conduct an in-depth analysis of the evolutionary stages of an innovation lab. Ultimately, we seek to provide a collectively-built set of practices and experiences on the way in which spaces have been implemented to support the processes of innovation and creativity. This in order to help those who are willing to start a new Innovation Lab initiative or those who seek to evolve their existing one.
Associated Scientific Production
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Osorio, F., Dupont, L., Camargo, M., Sandoval, C., & Peña, J. I. (2020). Shaping a Public Innovation Laboratory in Bogota: Learning through Time, Space and Stakeholders. Journal of Innovation Economics & Management, 31(1), 69–100. https://doi.org/10.3917/jie.pr1.0066
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Osorio, F., Dupont, L., Camargo, M., Palominos, P., Peña, J. I., & Alfaro, M. (2019). Design and management of innovation laboratories: Toward a performance assessment tool. Creativity and Innovation Management, 28(1), 82–100. https://doi.org/10.1111/caim.12301
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Osorio, F., Dupont, L., Camargo, M., & Peña, J. I. (2019). Constellation of Innovation Laboratories: A Scientific Outlook. 2019 IEEE International Conference on Engineering, Technology and Innovation (ICE/ITMC), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICE.2019.8792816
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Morel, L., Dupont, L., & Boudarel, M.-R. (2018). Innovation spaces: new places for collective intelligence? In D. Uzunidis (Ed.), Collective Innovation Processes (Volume 4, pp. 87–107). New York: Wiley-ISTE. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119557883.ch5
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Osorio Bustamante, F., Pena Reyes, J. I., Camargo, M., & Dupont, L. (2015). Spaces to foster and sustain innovation: Towards a conceptual framework. In 2015 IEEE International Conference on Engineering, Technology and Innovation/ International Technology Management Conference (ICE/ITMC) (pp. 1–7). Belfast: IEEE. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICE.2015.7438661
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Skiba, N., Dupont, L., Morel, L., & Guidat, C. (2012). A space for innovation process acceleration, supporting collaborative citizens workshops. In 2012 18th International ICE Conference on Engineering, Technology and Innovation (pp. 1–9). IEEE. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICE.2012.6297646
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Camargo, M., Bary, R., Skiba, N., Boly, V., & Smith, R. (2012). Studying the implications and impact of smartphones on self-directed learning under a Living Lab approach. International Journal of Product Development, 17(1/2), 119. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJPD.2012.051151
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Dupont, L., Guidat, C., & Morel, L. (2010). EMA space: a collaborative workspace as collaborative urban ecosystem generator? In 2010 IEEE International Technology Management Conference (ICE). Lugano. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICE.2010.7477000
See all our publications about innovation labs and living lab at: http://lf2l.fr/publications/
Institutions supporting this research
Contact
If you wish to know more or to collaborate with us in this research project, we invite you to send us an email at:
- Laurent Dupont : l.dupont{at}univ-lorraine.fr
- Ferney Osorio : ferney.osorio-bustamante{at}univ-lorraine.fr
More information: Innolabs