Inter-Organisational Network Formation and Sense-Making : Initiation and Management of a Living Lab

Purpose – While Living Labs are increasingly gaining attention as real-life experimentation settings for developing and testing of innovative solutions, research on the social structure and processes that take place within Living Labs is still scarce. Our study aims at extending the empirical basis of Living Lab research and at the same time further refine the conceptual instruments of the analysis. Approach – Based on an in-depth case study, we have reconstructed the initiation and subsequent management of Living Labs as platforms for innovation. The theoretical framework supplements the concept of network practices by drawing upon the literature on communities of practices and sense-making. Findings – The paper provides insights into the social processes which lead to the initiation and management of Living Labs and demonstrates the importance of negotiation, sense-making, and knowledge brokers. Our analysis also presents Living Labs as specific type of networks, marked by distinct characteristics, which differs from inter-firm networks. Research limitations - A single, albeit extensive case study provides only limited empirical evidence. Practical implications - The paper highlights the importance of knowledge brokers and the varying activities which need to be performed at the different stages of the life cycle.