Typologies of Localized Spaces of Collaborative Innovation

Hacker spaces, maker spaces, Living Labs, Fab Labs or co-working spaces are common denominations of localized spaces of collaborative innovation (LSCI) where knowledge communities meet to collectively innovate. These spaces can represent a key element in the innovation ecosystem of cities, bridging between individual's creativity and the firms' innovation. However, the increasing importance of this phenomenon has been overlooked by researchers on innovation both in organizations and in territories. The research here presented is a first attempt to study the LSCI phenomenon globally, by proposing a typology that classifies 120 spaces depending on the leaders (users or organizations) and the main driver (social or economic) of the projects developed in the LSCI. The contribution of this paper is to propose a practical methodology that could be applicable to the classification of other existing LSCI. Furthermore, the proposed typology could be used by policy makers to reinforce the interactions between the actors of the local innovation ecology