8/2/2019 Innovation Labs Article Lo Res

1/4

Innovation Labs: Tackling sustainability through systemic

collaborationDr Svenja Tams and Megha Wadhawan

The University of Bath is currently developing a Future Water Laboratory, bringing togetherscientists, engineers, business people, investors, NGOs, users and social scientists in orderto advance the implementation of sustainable water technologies. In this article, Tams andWadhawan (School of Management) examine existing Innovation Lab practices that informthis initiative.

The global pressures on limited naturalresources call or innovation practices thatenable eective collaboration across complexsocial systems. These include scientic andtechnological research, business, policymakers, NGOs and users. In other words,nding sustainable ways o living on anincreasingly interdependent planet embodiescomplex problems that cannot be resolved byany single player or solution be it technology,policy or practice. In recent times however,innovation labs have sprung up acrossvarious sectors as an answer to suchinterconnected problems.

In this article we discuss the role o innovationlabs in creating a collaborative space wherepeople rom dierent disciplines can engagewith the complexity o sustainable innovation.Our discussion draws on pioneering casestudies in this eld and considers theimplications or developing a Future WaterLaboratory that draws on the particularexpertise o scientists and engineers at theUniversity Bath in the area o sustainablewater technologies.

Tackling societal challenges

Innovating more sustainable ways o livingin our global society represents a wickedproblem. This notion was introduced by thedesigners and urban planners Horst Ritteland Melvin Webber to distinguish intractablesocial and organizational problems romrelatively tame problems. These are relativelydenable and uncontentious and can besolved rationally through technical orproessional expertise. In contrast, wickedproblems are novel, complex andcharacterized by a lack o clarity about theproblems origin, having no right or wrong

answers. Problems are wicked because thecriteria to evaluate possible solutions aredierent or each stakeholder. This is urthercompounded by how each solution is part o alarger interdependent system, creating urtherunintended consequences and problems. In

this sense, wicked problems are unstoppable.Such characteristics make wicked problemssubject to political and contestable judgment,and to repeated re-solution not solution.

Sustainable water as a wicked problem

The wickedness o societal problems isillustrated by innovation in the area osustainable water use. In the UK, abundanceo water has traditionally been taken orgranted. Yet, climate change and concernsabout reducing our dependency on ossiluels are raising our attention to this. Thishas been brought home by water shortagesin some parts o the UK, but also growingconcerns about the increasing risk o droughtsin Arica and Asia. A World Bank report,assessing the social impact o climate change,suggests the resulting amine can lead todistress migration and conficts. Since water isclosely connected with our use o energy (e.g.water treatment requiring energy, but wateralso serving as a renewable source o energy),it is not surprising that some commentatorsare calling water the new oil, signalling theimportance o water as a primary commoditythat will infuence 21st Century geopolitics.

Innovation in this area requires systemicapproaches because our consumption owater is embedded in a complex system,including the natural environment, the waterand sewage services o water companies,government regulation, private andcommercial users, and products, technologiesand practices that use water and throughwhich we use water. These interdependenciescannot be isolated locally. Global supplychains and the international operations oBritish business impact the local economies,society and natural environment o the watercrunch regions o Arica and Asia. As there is

no single solution, various approaches arerequired ranging rom encouragingconsumers to use less water in the householdto stimulating innovation by universitiesand industry, setting standards, andshaping policy.

However, each approach is prone tolimitations. Take eorts directed at infuencingcitizens to reduce their water consumption.Despite a small percentage o society beingwilling to change individual behaviours or thesake o the larger good, policy-driven eortsare constrained by cultural habits and socialacceptability.

Stimulating innovation

An alternative is to stimulate innovation. Forexample, industry plays a role in developingnew products and services that reduce thewater ootprint embedded in the liecycle oconsumption. This could include the sourcingo raw materials, production, distribution,consumption and disposal. However, asystemic perspective raises urtherchallenging questions:

Howappropriatearethemetricsbywhichcompanies determine the water ootprinto their products and services? To whatextent do these metrics measure the realsocial and environmental impact o theirraw materials?

Howequitableisitforsustainableproductsand services to be targeted only at a small

niche o less price-sensitive and moreenvironmentally-minded consumers inadvanced industrialized nations?

Howcanindustryreducerenewablewaterconsumption on a global scale, includingemerging and developing economies?

Whatistheroleofglobalstandardsininfuencing systemic change in industry?How should these standards be set?And how do we avoid new standardsconstraining innovation?

These questions illustrate the variouschallenges that compound and thus increase

the complexity o achieving a more sustainableuse o water. As Rittel and Webber argue,these kinds o problems are challengingbecause our pluralistic society does not allowus to articulate commonly acceptablestandards o societal goodness.

01The Bath Perspective

8/2/2019 Innovation Labs Article Lo Res

2/4

What kind of leadership do we need?

Wicked societal problems call on us toengage more explicitly with their inherentlypolitical, ambiguous and contradictorycharacter. Leadership expert Keith Grintsuggests that these situations demandour ability to ask the right questions ratherthan provide the right answers and also toengage in a collaborative process to makeany kind o progress (2005: 1478) . Similarly,Tams and Marshall (2011) nd that takingleadership in the emerging context osustainable business involves continuousexploration, linking up with like-mindedothers, and systemic refexivity in otherwords, repeatedly drawing on onesexperiences to probe into inconsistenciesbetween intentions and outcomes.

In sum, the challenges which society andorganizations ace in managing limitedresources more sustainably require awidening o our traditional conception oleadership. Aside rom developing thecharacter and capability o individualleaders, they indicate the growing need orleadership which acilitates collaborativelearning across diverse constituencies.This leadership probes purposeully intothe complexities and contradictions osustainable innovation.

Innovation Labs

In response to these challenges, we haveobserved the emergence o innovation labsas a novel approach to management learning.

We dene an innovation lab as a collaborativespace convening people rom dierentdisciplines and resources to address complexand systemic issues through a variety ochange methods. These methods are oteninormed by scenario planning, designpractice, and community engagement.Although each innovation lab has its uniquepurpose and process, they typically combinesome o the ollowing practices:

Conveningdiversepeoplewhoshareacommon interest in a particular societal ororganizational problem

Mappingsystemicissuesandtensions Buildingasenseofcommunityandshared

identity Developingprototypesofnewinitiatives Scalingupinitiativestoaffectwider

systemic change.

Over recent years, innovation labs havebeen used both in business andmulti-stakeholder settings.

IDEOIn large business organizations such asMotorola and Fisher-Price, the design rmIDEO has promoted innovation labs as ameans to increase the speed by which newproducts can be brought to market. Here,an innovation lab aims to break down thetraditional barriers between patent-drivenR&D departments and the core business.It oers a dedicated physical space awayrom the oce that is conducive to groupcreativity and where employees romengineering, marketing and design meetwith subject matter experts. They go outto the eld and observe users in theireveryday lie, brainstorm ideas and buildprototypes. Key to the success o innovationlabs is their ability to bring people rom dierentdisciplines together in order to play with reshideas. In that way, they oer an alternativeto the barriers o compartmentalizedorganizational structures.

Innovation labs have gained particularmomentum as a orum or engaging peopleacross communities and organizations insocial and sustainable innovation. Pioneersin this eld are non-prot organizationsand consulting rms such as NESTA,Reos Partners, WWF UK, and Forum-or-the-Future.

NESTA

For example, NESTA (the UKs NationalEndowment or Science, Technology and theArts) has been running several programmesthat address societal problems such asclimate change, declining health and a rapidlyageing population under the umbrella o itsPublic Services Lab. A particular eature othese programmes is that they conveneparticipants through a competitive prizechallenge. The open competition stimulates adiverse range o innovative ideas on the chosentopic rom individuals, community groups andorganizations. Through a rigorous selectionprocess, a small group o promising proposals

is selected rom among all entries. The PublicService Lab then works with the chosen teams,providing them with seed unding, building theircapacity through non nancial support romrelevant experts, and sharing learning acrossthe peer group.

WWF UK

Other innovation labs place more emphasis onbuilding a community o people with common

interests rst, to then support them in thedevelopment o their ideas. For example, WWFUK has collaborated with proessional andindustry associations in setting up two labs. ItsFinance Innovation Lab is run jointly with theICAEW (the Institute o Chartered Accountantsin England and Wales) and aims to create anopen environment or social entrepreneurs,investment bankers and anti-capitalists, theNGO community and designers to explore,innovate and evolve the nancial system, sothat it sustains people and planet. A secondinitiative, the Tasting the Future Lab was setup in collaboration with the Foods Ethics

Council, the Food and Drink Federation, andADAS and seeks to promote a sustainable oodsystem. These labs are characterised by theiropenness and diversity, building onlinenetworks o up to 1,500 people and regularevents o up to 150 participants. The labs

02 The Bath Perspective

8/2/2019 Innovation Labs Article Lo Res

3/4

Members of Tasting the Future, an innovation lab supportedby WWF UK

encourage people to crowd source new ideasand cluster around those ideas that inspirethem. The organizers then work with these

innovation groups to turn ideas into projectsand nd unding and support. In addition togenerating specic projects, the emphasis ison building the capacity o a broad community.People who do not yet want to commit theirtime to a particular project, but who eel adissonance between their values and theirrole at work, or a sense o urgency aboutsustainability and social justice are invited tojoin in and build their conviction andcondence to act.

Food Security Change LabSimilarly, the Food Security Change Lab

organized by the University o Cape Town andReos Partners (an international consulting rmwith expertise in social innovation, scenariobuilding and labs) convenes communities odiverse people with a common interest insustainable ood security in South(ern) Arica.

The unique eature o this lab is thatparticipants ventured out into the eld and builtrelationships across sector boundaries. Initially

they interviewed more than 20 key players inthe ood system. They also conducted threelearning journeys to dierent regions o SouthArica where they visited organizationsconcerned about hunger and poverty. Theseincluded: street vendors in townships, oodmarkets, ood retail chains, armerscooperatives, community gardens, and oodbanks. In a next step, they used this eldresearch to map existing initiatives that aretackling ood security in the supply chain.Based on this mapping exercise, they identiedgaps in the value chain and ormed severalinnovation teams on issues such as promoting

ood security among producers, distribution inlow income markets, and a nationalconversation on ood security.

Forum for the Future

In contrast, the innovation lab o Forum or the

Future convenes more exclusive groups obusiness people rom leading organizationswithin particular industries to take a systemic

approach to change. The Forum aims to helporganisations transorm the systems theyoperate in like ood, energy and nance onto a sustainable ooting. The Lab worksalongside the Forums projects to learn anddevelop more eective ways o doing this,through collaboration, innovation and actionresearch. The Forums innovation processoten begins with participants using scenarioplanning to explore the macro challenges tobuilding a more sustainable system within theirrespective sector. Through this process,participants also develop a common languageand vision. Based on this analysis, they then

generate practical innovations that theyprototype within their respective organizationsand develop collectively. For example, in oneinitiative with leading organizations rom theshipping industry, members committed toimplementing practical innovations or

03The Bath Perspective

8/2/2019 Innovation Labs Article Lo Res

4/4

long-term sustainability such as: nancing newtechnology; reducing the lie-cycle impact ovessels; producing a standard o standards todrive improved sustainability perormance,and making a step change in energytechnology innovation and uptake. TheForum Lab is working alongside this initiative,capturing what works and lessons learned asthe shipping industry works to transorm itsel.These collaborative industry initiatives serveas a platorm or generating resh ideas,building the leadership capacity o participantsas change agents within their organizations,and exchanging learning about innovativepractices. As an initiative moves throughthese stages and accumulates practicallearning, the Lab gleans and shares its ndingsto enable other organizations and sectors tocreate this kind o system level change.

A Future Water Laboratory

At the University o Bath, we are currentlyidentiying partners and unding or a FutureWater Laboratory that will use thesecollaborative innovation practices. The projectis based on the particular expertise amonga considerable group o scientists andengineers at the University o Bath in the areao sustainable water technologies. Althoughsustainable water management dependsmore strongly on technologies than manyo the previously discussed innovation labs,the Future Water Laboratory is multi-disciplinary. Our assumption is that the keychallenges in sustainable water innovationsare not related to a lack o technologies, but

result rom considerable human andinstitutional barriers in implementing andscaling up these technologies.

The aim o the Future Water Laboratory is todevelop and test a toolbox o collaborative,user-centred and systemic innovationpractices that integrate the social, economicand environmental dimensions o sustainablewater technologies and that will enablestakeholders to build the business case orsustainable water technologies moreeectively.

Identifying water challengesAs a next step, we are engaging with advisorsin social innovation and the sustainable waterspace to identiy a series o water challengeswith high social impact, suitable partners andparticipants or the Future Water Laboratory.

As illustrations, we are currently exploring theeasibility o themes such as:

Howtheconstructionandinsurancesectorcan adapt to the increased risks o foodingresulting rom climate change

Howcompaniescanmanageconsumerperceptions in order to reduce the waterootprints o everyday consumption acrossthe liecycle o products

Howtoovercomethebarrierstotransferringtechnology and building sustainable waterinrastructures in water stress areas in Aricaand Asia

Howsustainablewaterinnovationscancontribute to smart city approaches e.g., sustainable urban development thatintegrates human and social capital andtraditional (transport) and modern (ICT)communication inrastructure.

ImpactsThrough the Future Water Laboratory weaim to generate several impacts. Centralamong them will be to build capacity amongstakeholders rom the water sectoror responsible leadership and systemicinnovation. For example, this includes:

Stakeholdersfromscienceandengineeringresearch who need to engage and developnetworks with manuacturers, watercompanies, investors, policy makers andusers to develop and implement watersystem prototypes

Industriesinadvancedindustrializedcountries who are interested in oering

more sustainable water services, and/ora aster, less risky and more eectiveprototyping o sustainable watertechnologies

Endusers,communitiesandcommercialorganizations rom developing economiesand who lack access to the innovationinrastructures present in advancedeconomies (e.g. capital investment,inormation about available technologies).

The Future Water Laboratory would enablethese participants to manage the barriers tothe development, transer and implementation

o sustainable water technologies moresystemically and collaboratively.

The learning generated within the FutureWater Laboratory will also be useul to policymakers and non-governmental organizations.

In particular, it will inorm our understandingo how policy enables the implementation ocomplex water technologies and helpsovercome the obstacles presented byexisting institutional inrastructures andsocial norms.Looking beyond the Future Water Laboratory,our aim is also to advance innovation labs bytesting and rening a toolbox o innovationpractices that integrate technological, humanand institutional dimensions. Through thistoolbox, we seek to build capacity amongresearch centres, NGOs and commercialtechnology rms in acilitating collaborativeinnovation practices.

We are still in the early stages o developingthis project and its potentialities. Many o ourideas will evolve as we progress. The directionand impact o the Future Water Laboratory isco-determined by the partnerships we ormwith other players who are committed toadvancing a more sustainable use o waterin our society.

To obtain urther inormation and explorethese ideas, contact Dr. Svenja Tams on:s.tams@bath.ac.uk

References

Rittel, H. W. J. and Webber, M. M. (1973).Dilemmas in a general theoryo planning. Policy Sciences, 4, 155-169.Raleigh, C., Jordan, L., & Salehyan, I. (2008).Assessing the impact o climate change onmigration and confict. Paper presented at the

Social Dimensions o Climate Change, SocialDevelopment Department, World Bank, 56March 2008.Grint, K. (2005). Problems, problems,problems: The social construction oleadership. Human Relations, 58, 1467-1494.Tams, S. & Marshall, J. (2011). Responsiblecareers: Systemic refexivity in shitinglandscapes.Human Relations, 64, 109-131.Weber, J., Holmes, S. & Palmeri, C. (2005).Mosh Pits O Creativity. Business Week(3958): 98-100.

Photography

Simone Tiesinga-Poutnik

04 The Bath Perspective