Coworking Spaces and the Localized Dynamics of Innovation in Barcelona

The innovative capacity of cities does not exclusively depend on the innovation processes managed by local firms. This paper considers a multi-level perspective to analyze the crucial role of individuals and communities outside firms in the dynamics of innovation in cities. Through a qualitative study of the communities emerging in coworking spaces in Barcelona, we disentangle the different dynamics of innovation involving community insiders and local actors (firms, citizens and governmental bodies). We argue that coworking spaces act as intermediaries between creative individuals (“the underground”) and innovative firms (“the upperground”), contributing to the interaction between colocated actors through the articulation of places, spaces, projects and events. The results lead to suggestions for policies to contribute to the emergence and development of innovation in cities by fostering innovative processes outside firms