Mobilizing Local and Regional Knowledge for Innovation

The aim of this theoretical paper is to contribute to an understanding of collaborative innovation in a knowledge based economy. The main theme in collaborative innovation we take to be mobilizing local and regional knowledge supported through research and education. The aim is supporting local and regional economic growth, co-operative advantage, social cohesion and sustainable development. Drawing on Systems Design Philosophy we apply a systemic approach to design, innovation and entrepreneurship in complex adaptive systems. We search for a theoretical framework for participatory innovation, with local and regional community building and have identified eight systemic methodologies which may be interrelated: (1) The PentaHelix Model; (2) Knowledge Based Communities of Practice; (3) Value Network Analysis for Innovation Potentials; (4) Generative Themes in Transformative Learning, (5) Social Learning and Narratives as Knowledge Enabling; (6) Knowledge and Fitness Landscapes; (7) ICT for Design, Innovation and Entrepreneurship; (8) Strategy as Guiding Principles for Action. We explicate our way of thinking through illustrations and descriptions, but recognize that we do not fully succeed with a theoretical integration. Our next step is practice – applying the methodologies in collaborative project which may allow us to unfold a coherent theoretical frame for our work. MARTINA SOPHIA BACH Inquiring Relations martina@inquiringrrelations.se THEA BRUUN DE NEERGAARD Copenhagen Business School theafiol@gmail.com JANNI NIELSEN Copenhagen Business School janni.nielsen@cbs.dk LEIF BLOCH RASMUSSEN Copenhagen Business School lbr.caict@cbs.dk track 3: organising Participatory innovation Participatory innovation conference 2011 257 knowledge economy and provides two themes for collaborative efforts in creating the most competitive knowledge economy in the world: 1. A welfare equation, where economic growth plus competitive/cooperative advantage equals social cohesion plus sustainable development. In actual practices in local and regional settings this is often transformed into goals like a percentage in economic growth, amount of new jobs and/or new companies created. 2. A knowledge triangle, where Research, Innovation and Education join forces. In actual practice this is often taken to be transfer and diffusion of knowledge from universities to companies enabled by public authorities. But how do we move from strategy to practice? Which methodologies may frame this process? In our understanding the main driving forces in the collaborative efforts are knowledge based design, innovation and entrepreneurship. However efforts must take place in a context of participation of all interest groups in and across local and regional spaces. Hence participatory innovation is an essential aspect. But the Lisbon strategy also calls for developing theories and practices – hence methodology and methodologies that are embedded in a context of the informational society, where the business unit of the future is the network. The aim of this paper is to draft a theoretical frame which may help us understand collaborative innovation in a knowledge based economy. The paper is our first attempt to develop a theoretical frame. Our approach involves theories and also practices of eight systemic methodologies for participatory innovation. In order to support our argument we will take these methodologies back to their origin in philosophy and systems thinking. We start the paper by introducing our approach to innovation. On this basis we move into the eight systemic methodologies which together form a system of interconnections. The sequence in which they are introduced is the one we prefer in our but other sequences are possible. We explain each methodology and how it contributes to collaborative – or participatory innovation in the knowledge economy. In a final paragraph we reflect on the integration of the methodologies into a coherent frame.