Governments all over Northern Europe have placed public innovation high
on the political agenda. European governance researchers are seeking to map the impact
of efforts to promote public innovation with a particular focus on the role of
collaborative forms of governance in achieving this. This introductory chapter provides
a description of this new field of research - its emergence, character and maturity - with
reference to the case studies presented in the following chapters. The case studies draw
on a broad range of different theoretical and methodological schools of thought that
each offers a unique contribution to developing a new, multi-disciplinary theory of
public innovation. The case studies are mainly based on qualitative data; however, the
authors note that quantitative studies and mixed methods could potentially advance the
research field even further. Nevertheless, the case studies presented in the book point to
a number of important preliminary findings regarding the role of collaborative forms of
governance in enhancing public innovation: 1) Collaborative public innovation
transforms mindsets, role perceptions and work forms; 2) Design matters for the success
and failure of collaborative innovation processes; 3) Leadership is important for
promoting collaborative innovation; and 4) Collaborative public innovation is relevant
at all levels of governance. On these grounds, the chapter concludes that a promising
research field is emerging but is still in its infancy and further research is needed in
order to map the potential of, and barriers to, collaborative forms of public innovation in
Northern Europe.
Keywords: Collaborative governance, public innovation, public welfare
production, public policy problems.
