Fostering open innovation in coworking spaces: A study of Norwegian startups

Abstract

Coworking spaces and open innovation are two trends that emerged in the early 2000s and have gained considerable attention. Although there exists a vast amount of research on either of these topics, the connection between them has not been much explored. The aim of this research study was to assess the state of practice of open innovation in coworking spaces and to propose a model that captures this phenomenon. Empirical data were collected by surveys and interviews with seven entrepreneurs operating Norwegian coworking spaces and two managers of coworking spaces. We found that coworking spaces express a large potential to foster open innovation among early-stage startups. Also, open innovation was found to already occur in coworking spaces: Among the four coworking space dimensions analyzed-places, spaces, events, and projects-events were regarded as the most important ones, since they act as enablers for cooperation dynamics.