Professional communities as a part

of innovation ecosystem

Ilkka KakkoInnovation Forum, Zheleznogorsk 29.11.2013

Traditional STPs (technoparks) are serving a company based structure:

Supporting start ups by incubation

Technology oriented and research based R&D

Strong connectivity with regional development bodies

Triple Helix model

3GSP technoparks are serving an ecosystem based structure

Balanced focus between existing companies and various types of new entrepereneurships

established institutions, big companies, SMEs, start-ups, effectual entrepreneurs, social entrepreneurs, free-lancers, virtual teams, virtual organizations, wanna-be-entrepreneurs

Communities as key players generating interaction dynamics

No outsiders needed, pull principle, attractivity essential, emergence vital

Global focus, but ”sticky knowledge” important

=> Serendipity Management model

The evolution of innovation environments

Training Camp in February 2004

Kuva: Jaakko Kilpiäinen

Characteristics of Ecosystems

Evolving Organic Diverse Symbiotic Sustainable

Complex Self organizeing Adaptive Emergent

Fragile vs resilient – or antifragile

The importance of communities

Sustainable ecosystem:

• Diversity of communities

- A breeding environment is needed

- Easy access into the ecosystem

- More talent engaged

• Governance / management

- ”push vs pull”

• Dynamics

- Wide involvement

- Different roles

Life cycle approach:

• Foundation

• Evolution

• Metamorphosis

Work

Learn Play

© Karostech Ltd

“Innovation communities are defined as an informal network of likeminded individuals, acting as universal or specialized promotors, who often come from different organizations and companies and team up in a project like fashion, and jointly promote a specific innovation, either on one or several levels of innovation system. Innovation communities are therefore characterised as promoter networks or as informal personal networks of innovators.” (Feuchter&Beucker 2012)

This definition is missing several important characteristics of a well functioning innovation community, such as facilitation, goal orientation and elements of diversity, sustainability and continuity. Karostech’s definition is as follows:

“Innovation communities are facilitated and diverse Collaborative Networked Organizations (CNOs) – Virtual Organizations (VOs), Virtual Teams (VTs), Virtual Organization Breeding Environments (VBEs) and Professional Virtual Communities (PVCs), which are involved in creating and promoting innovations and hence form a vital part of the surrounding business ecosystems and are well connected to local and global knowledge ecosystems. (Karostech 2013)

Definition: Innovation Communities

VBE represents an association of organizations and number of related

supporting institutions, adhering to a base long term cooperation agreement,

and adoption of common operating principles and infrastructures, with the

main goal of increasing their preparedness towards rapid configuration of

temporary alliances for collaboration in potential Virtual Organisation.

Namely, when business opportunity is identified by one member (acting as a

broker) a subset of VBE organizations can be selected to form a VE/VO.

(Camarinha-Matos&Afsarmanesh: ”Collaborative Networks:

Reference Modeling”, Springer, New York, 2008)

Virtual Organization Breeding Environment - VBE

PVC is an alliance of professional individuals that aim at being prepared for collaboration under a business perspective, and provide an environment to facilitate the agile and fluid formation of Virtual Teams (VTs) similar to that what VBE aims to provide for VOs.

(Camarinha-Matos&Afsarmanesh: ”Collaborative Networks:

Reference Modeling”, Springer, New York, 2008)

! Three dimensions: knowledge, business and social

! Both identity and bond driven elements

! Ideally well balanced although geographically dispersed

! Physical space like coworking-, hacker- or maker-space important

! Virtual collaboration platform essential

Professional Virtual Community - PVC

Kuva: Jaakko Kilpiäinen

Knowledge sharing andidentity

Business thinkingand learning

Business thinking and learning

Social capital and bonding

Ideal PVC – KBS balance

> Trust building> Generating interaction Catalyst for the whole Innovation ecosystem

Innovationpotential

©

Some communities in KBS - scale

1) Research community (basic)

2) Research community (applied)

3) Lead user (sports etc)

4) Lead User (AaltoES etc)

5) Hobbyist

6) VBE

7) VO

8) VT

9) Ideal PVC

Knowledge

Business Social

1

8

3

2

4

6

75

9

©

Universities

Research Centres

Consultancy Companies

Education

StandardProfessionalServices

BasicResearch

Applied research

LifelongLearning

New Methods

Innovation driven New Knowledge

PVC

The PVC positions itself at the intersection of the traditional actors value proposition, with whom the PVC is intended to collaborate instead of competing.

VT Clients: Enterprises needing Knowldege based services

© ECOLEAD, Roberto Santoro

PVCs central role in the innovation ecosystem

Training Camp in February 2004

Kuva: Jaakko Kilpiäinen

© ECOLEAD Hamideh Afsarmanesh

VT2

Proposal/MethodologicalApproach or product concept

Methodological approach/Product concept market

IPR agreement

IPR agreement

VT5

Standardized Methodology/Commodity

PVC

University

ResearchCentre

Retiree

Individual

Professional

Consultant

Ideas’ market

VT1IPR agreement

Position paper/Basic Ideas

VT3

VO1

Feasible Methodology/architectural design

VT4

Emerging methodology/Product architecture Market

Demonstrated Methodology/Product prototype

Validated methodology/New Product prototypeMarket

VO2IPR agreement

GeneralizedMethodology/Industrialized product

VO3IPR agreement

VT2VT2

Proposal/MethodologicalApproach or product concept

Methodological approach/Product concept market

IPR agreement

IPR agreement

VT5VT5

Standardized Methodology/Commodity

PVC

University

ResearchCentre

Retiree

Individual

Professional

Consultant

Ideas’ market

VT1VT1IPR agreement

Position paper/Basic Ideas

VT3VT3

VO1

Feasible Methodology/architectural design

VT4VT4

Emerging methodology/Product architecture Market

Demonstrated Methodology/Product prototype

Validated methodology/New Product prototypeMarket

VO2IPR agreement

GeneralizedMethodology/Industrialized product

VO3IPR agreement

© ECOLEAD, Roberto Santoro

Value chain scenario 1

http://www.worldindustrialreporter.com/innovation-ecosystem-analysis-ecosystem-mapping/

Value chain scenario 2

Community values (Ubuntu)

# Be considerate

# Be respectful

# Take responsibility for our words and our actions

# Be collaborative

# Value decisiveness, clarity and consensus

# Ask for help when unsure

# Step down considerately

http://www.ubuntu.com/about/about-ubuntu/conduct

Community values (Oasis tribe)

# Love your potential

# Trust yourself

# Trust your tribe/community

# Encourage diverse interactions

# Respect serendipity

# Become connected to your higher potential

# Feel the flow

# Learn from nature

# Create co-discovery

# Celebrate the results

# Enjoy your wellbeing

Community values (Urban Mill)

# Doors open for all Urban pioneers (only one big theme)

# Attract creative people, co-create meanings, make sense

# Just start and try it! Build &Test Learn Cycle (with users)

# Dialogue through boundary objects (physical, virtual, social)

# Shared resources and practices, memory of the place!

# YES, and.. (instead of NO, but..)

# Be connected, boost interactions, allow serendipity

# merge enthusiasm of youngsters to wiseness of seniors

# schools, businesses and public bodies

# Entrepreneurial action, effectual entrepreneurship

# Glocal, multi-disciplinary, cross-industry activities

# Return-on-Community (ROC) matters, space supportssource;: interview with Urban Mill Founder, Kari Mikkelä

Community governance (Ubuntu)

# Leading by example, in debate and in action – take action

# Delegation from the top - ”benevolent dictator”

# Support for delegation is measured – leadership as priviledge

# Discussion, data and decisiveness valued

# Open meritocracy

# Teamwork

# Credit is important

# Courage and considerateness – reasoning earlyhttp://www.ubuntu.com/about/about-ubuntu/conduct

Vital element for social/bonding-> coworking space

Physical Space:

• Chance encounters

- Peripatos

- Kitchen

- Serendipity Cafe

- Temple of Challenge

• Space for insight

- Sauna, Katharsis

- Tandem Chambers

- Temple of Challenge

• Value creation

- Hall of Potential

- Hall of Results

Facilitation:

• Enables community building (bonding, social element)

- Four zones: privat, semi-privat, semi-public and public

Work

Learn Play

netWork Oasis, Joensuu Science Park

Urban Mill - case

Part of Aalto University’s ecosystem in Helsinki metropolitan area

- Novel solution, operations started 2013 January

- Coworking space, innovation community, change orchestration tool

- Focus on sustainable urban innovations

Challenge: How to enhance the quality of urban life and services through ICT and built environment development and how to orhestrate and energize urban ecosystem development

Urban Mill’s main principles:

- Joint development work guided by a co-created vision rather than by strictly pre-planned processes

- Community building in focus, engagement through ”pull” factors

- Open innovation principles widely used

- New orchestration methods piloted

- Connectivity (local and global) supported

- All types of entrepreneurships are attracted – effectual entrepreneursip in focus

- Sustainability --- walk your talk, former VTT building renovated by users themselves almost without any investments

Urban Mill - case.

FLOK society, Equador

MOOC communities

http://www.meetup.com/Coursera/?see_all=1

These will have an increasing impact, especially when Coursera has launced an initiative for physical hubs where members can physically meet

Online communities

• Online communities are a perfect way to connect to the information flows.

• Important: the personal portfolio of communities

• Mostly identity based, but bonding element is there

• Some of them are almost perfectly balanced (KBS)

Great examples both in Facebook and LinkedIn:

Living Bridges Planet (Facebook) – Meta Community!https://www.facebook.com/groups/livingbridgesplanet/

Tulevaisuusvaliokunta, Radical Technologies (Facebook)https://www.facebook.com/groups/TuVRadikaalit/

Serendipity Management (Facebook)https://www.facebook.com/groups/6655331989/

Internet of Things (LinkedIn)http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=73311&trk=vsrp_groups_res_name&trkInfo=VSRPsearchId%3A725001385985589309%2CVSRPtargetId%3A73311%2CVSRPcmpt%3Aprimary

Examples of Facebook communities

Living Bridges Planet

Tulevaisuusvaliokunta, radical technologies

Serendipity Management

Internet of Things / LinkedIn

Thank you!

For further information: Ilkka Kakko

+ 358 50 536 2941

Twitter: @Serendipitor

ilkka.kakko@karostech.fi

www.karostech.fi

www.respectserendipity.com