Boundary orchestration and knowledge integration in convergence research

Abstract

In this paper, we examine how knowledge is assembled, translated, and routed across science and policy arenas in a large-scale, cross-disciplinary, and cross-sectoral convergence research project. Using abductive research methodology, and participant interviews, story maps, and archival research as methods, we characterized how convergence is conceptualized and operationalized by academic and professional experts in the team. First, we found that participants understood convergence as the ability to co-reason together under evolving constraints through adaptable representations, with progress marked not by consensus or cognitive reframing, but by artifacts that were useful for different audiences, routable through academic and policy communication channels, and durable to retain credibility across audiences and project phases. Second, we identified the conditions under which boundary objects become interpretable and actionable in environmental policy contexts. Third, we determined how boundary orchestration can yield legible and credible decision-making outputs. We offer transferable insights and hypotheses to inform the design and evaluation of future convergence efforts tackling complex environmental challenges.