Discovering Innovation Labs in the Public Sector

While innovation labs (i-labs) are increasingly popular in the public sector, there is almost no systematic academic overview of these organizations. This article is a first comprehensive attempt to map and analyze such labs globally. We have identified 35 such organizations all over the world. The research is based on a two-step approach: first, a comprehensive survey was carried out followed by an extensive in-depth interview with the managing figures of i-labs; 11 i-labs responded. The survey is based on longterm and large-scale research into public sector organizations in Europe (COBRA project); we have significantly updated it to fit our purposes. In this article we report our first findings. I-labs are rather unique organizations and diverse in their mission, expected to act as change agents within public sector and enjoy large autonomy in setting their targets and working methods. I-labs are typically structurally separated from the rest of the public sector and expected to be able to attract external funding as well as ‘sell’ their ideas and solutions within the public sector. I-labs tend be small structures, specializing on quick experimentations and usually lack the capabilities and authority to significantly influence up-scaling of the new solutions or processes. The main capabilities of i-labs are their ability to jump-start or show case user-driven service re-design projects. Interestingly, IT capabilities seem to be not that prominently present in the studied i-labs. In sum: i-labs, although prominent in many modern public management strategies, are yet far from becoming organic parts of public sector, which is paradoxically both their weakness and strength.