Development and Application of Innovation Commons for Innovation Ecosystem Development"

Important results from the project

The project achieved its three main objectives. A learning community with 60 members was established and is being maintained. A governance and evaluation framework was developed and documented in the book Governing Innovation Commons (June 2026). A technical infrastructure was piloted, concluding that institutional maturity is the decisive factor. The lessons learned are now being applied within SustainGov and are informing UNECE’s work on transformative innovation policies.

Expected long term effects

The project contributes to a shift from project logic to management logic in the innovation support system — where common assets are managed and developed over time rather than abandoned when funding runs out. In the long term, the frameworks can inform how Vinnova and other funders design instruments for ecosystem development. The project also contributes to establishing innovation commons management as a professional field, with tools, expertise and institutional support as a foundation.

Approach and implementation

The project was implemented in three parallel work packages: knowledge dissemination and community building (WP1), development of governance and evaluation framework (WP2), and piloting of digital infrastructure (WP3). The project was extended from August to December 2025 to allow for the in-depth theoretical work that proved necessary. Ia Modin joined and contributed with the governance framework; Jenny Iao-Jörgensen joined and contributed with the evaluation framework.