Shaping a Public Innovation Laboratory in Bogota: Learning through Time, Space and Stakeholders

Public and private organizations are turning to innovation labs as open spaces that provide a stimulating and collaborative environment for developing new solutions. However, sustaining an innovation lab is a challenging task that requires more than well-meant intentions. Although this issue has been of interest to scholars for some time now, little is known about how innovation labs are managed or the main factors influencing their adaptation and evolution. Building on an existing framework, this article focuses on a case study of the ViveLab Bogota, an innovation lab in the Colombian public sector. The results reveal that having a clear and shared strategic intent, effective governance mechanisms, a defined financial model, continuous knowledge generation and a community-based approach, are factors that may enable or limit an innovation lab to experience a sustainable evolution. Finally, reflections are also shared on the use of the selected framework and possible points for improvement. JEL Codes: O32, O35, O38, O54