Skunkworks finder: unlocking the diversity advantage of urban innovation ecosystems

Abstract

Entrepreneurs and start-up founders using innovation spaces and hubs often find themselves inside a filter bubble or echo chamber, where like-minded people tend to come up with similar ideas and recommend similar approaches to innovation. This trend towards homophily and a polarisation of like-mindedness is aggravated by algorithmic filtering and recommender systems embedded in mobile technology and social media platforms. Yet, genuine innovation thrives on social inclusion fostering a diversity of ideas. To escape these echo chambers, we designed and tested the Skunkworks Finder - an exploratory tool that employs social network analysis to help users discover spaces of difference and otherness in their local urban innovation ecosystem.