Regional IT innovation: a living lab approach

Abstract

The paper provides an integrated view of value creation in the development of new products and services related to IT. We argue that customer and end-user integration into the development process as a whole is a key for enhanced innovation processes. Building on experiences from two regional IT innovation projects conducted with a living lab approach, we ask how this approach can help organisations utilise important resources in an open innovation system and guide universities – as driving engines in regional innovation systems – to improve their environments for research and education. Exploring the outcome from the projects and how customers are integrated into value creation processes during the course of IT design and use, we argue that innovation systems management and customer integration are important assets not only to increased efficiency and quality, but also for enhanced innovation.