This document discusses the evolution of innovation environments and the importance of communities within innovation ecosystems. It describes how traditional science and technology parks focus on supporting startups and research, while newer 3GSP parks aim to balance support between existing companies and various types of new entrepreneurs. Communities play a key role in generating interaction dynamics within these ecosystems. Different types of communities are described, including virtual organization breeding environments, professional virtual communities, and online communities. Case studies of innovation hubs like Urban Mill that bring together diverse communities are also provided.

1. Professional communities as a part
of innovation ecosystem
Ilkka Kakko
Innovation Forum, Zheleznogorsk 29.11.2013

2. The evolution of innovation environments
Traditional STPs (technoparks) are serving a company based structure:

Supporting start ups by incubation

Technology oriented and research based R&D

Strong connectivity with regional development bodies
Triple Helix model
3GSP technoparks are serving an ecosystem based structure
 Balanced focus between existing companies and various types of new
entrepereneurships
 established institutions, big companies, SMEs, start-ups, effectual
entrepreneurs, social entrepreneurs, free-lancers, virtual teams, virtual
organizations, wanna-be-entrepreneurs
 Communities as key players generating interaction dynamics
 No outsiders needed, pull principle, attractivity essential, emergence vital
 Global focus, but ”sticky knowledge” important
=> Serendipity Management model

3. Characteristics of Ecosystems
Training Camp in February 2004
Evolving
 Organic
 Diverse
 Symbiotic
 Sustainable
Complex
 Self organizeing
 Adaptive
 Emergent
Fragile vs resilient –
or antifragile
Kuva: Jaakko Kilpiäinen

4. The importance of communities
Sustainable ecosystem:
•
Diversity of communities
A breeding environment
is needed
- Easy access into the
ecosystem
- More talent engaged
•
Governance / management
- ”push vs pull”
•
Dynamics
- Wide involvement
- Different roles
Work
Learn
Play
Life cycle approach:
•
Foundation
•
Evolution
•
Metamorphosis
© Karostech Ltd

5. Definition: Innovation Communities
“Innovation communities are defined as an informal network of likeminded
individuals, acting as universal or specialized promotors, who often come from
different organizations and companies and team up in a project like fashion, and
jointly promote a specific innovation, either on one or several levels of innovation
system. Innovation communities are therefore characterised as promoter networks
or as informal personal networks of innovators.” (Feuchter&Beucker 2012)
This definition is missing several important characteristics of a well functioning
innovation community, such as facilitation, goal orientation and elements of
diversity, sustainability and continuity. Karostech’s definition is as follows:
“Innovation communities are facilitated and diverse Collaborative Networked
Organizations (CNOs) – Virtual Organizations (VOs), Virtual Teams (VTs), Virtual
Organization Breeding Environments (VBEs) and Professional Virtual
Communities (PVCs), which are involved in creating and promoting innovations
and hence form a vital part of the surrounding business ecosystems and are well
connected to local and global knowledge ecosystems. (Karostech 2013)

6. Virtual Organization Breeding Environment - VBE
VBE represents an association of organizations and number of related
supporting institutions, adhering to a base long term cooperation
agreement, and adoption of common operating principles and
infrastructures, with the main goal of increasing their preparedness towards
rapid configuration of temporary alliances for collaboration in potential
Virtual Organisation. Namely, when business opportunity is identified by one
member (acting as a broker) a subset of VBE organizations can be selected
to form a VE/VO.
(Camarinha-Matos&Afsarmanesh: ”Collaborative Networks:
Reference Modeling”, Springer, New York, 2008)

7. Professional Virtual Community - PVC
PVC is an alliance of professional individuals that aim at being prepared for
collaboration under a business perspective, and provide an environment to
facilitate the agile and fluid formation of Virtual Teams (VTs) similar to that
what VBE aims to provide for VOs.
(Camarinha-Matos&Afsarmanesh: ”Collaborative Networks:
Reference Modeling”, Springer, New York, 2008)
! Three dimensions: knowledge, business and social
! Both identity and bond driven elements
! Ideally well balanced although geographically dispersed
! Physical space like coworking-, hacker- or maker-space
important
! Virtual collaboration platform essential

8. Ideal PVC – KBS balance
Business thinking
and learning
Knowledge
sharing and
identity
Innovation
potential
Social capital
and bonding
Business thinking
and learning
> Trust building
> Generating interaction
 Catalyst for the whole Innovation ecosystem
©
Kuva: Jaakko Kilpiäinen

9. Some communities in KBS - scale
Knowledge
1) Research community (basic)
2) Research community (applied)
3) Lead user (sports etc)
1
4) Lead User (AaltoES etc)
2
5) Hobbyist
6) VBE
3
7) VO
6
8) VT
9
9) Ideal PVC
4
7
Business
8
©
5
Social

10. PVCs central role in the innovation ecosystem
Research
Centres
VT Clients:
Enterprises needing
Knowldege based services
New
Methods
Universities
Basic
Research
Innovation driven
New Knowledge
Education
PVC
Lifelong
Learning
The PVC positions itself at
the intersection of the
traditional actors value
proposition, with whom
the PVC is intended to
collaborate instead of
competing.
Applied
research
Standard
Professional
Services
Consultancy
Companies
© ECOLEAD, Roberto Santoro

11. Training Camp in February 2004
Kuva: Jaakko Kilpiäinen
© ECOLEAD Hamideh Afsarmanesh

12. Value chain scenario 1
Methodological approach/
Product concept
market
Ideas’ market
Proposal/
Methodological
Approach or product
concept
Feasible
Methodology/
architectural design
Position
paper/
Basic
Ideas
VT2
Emerging methodology/
Product architecture
Market
IPR
agreement
VT1
VT3
IPR
agreement
University
IPR
agreement
VO1
Demonstrated
Methodology/
Product prototype
Validated methodology/
New Product prototype
Market
Research
Retiree
Centre
VT4
Individual
Professional
Consultant
VO2
PVC
IPR
agreement
VT5
Standardized
Methodology/
Commodity
VO3
© ECOLEAD, Roberto Santoro
IPR
agreement
Generalized
Methodology/
Industrialized product

13. Value chain scenario 2
http://www.worldindustrialreporter.com/innovation-ecosystem-analysis-ecosystem-mapping/

14. Community values (Ubuntu)
# Be considerate
# Be respectful
# Take responsibility for our words and our actions
# Be collaborative
# Value decisiveness, clarity and consensus
# Ask for help when unsure
# Step down considerately
http://www.ubuntu.com/about/about-ubuntu/conduct

15. Community values (Oasis tribe)
# Love your potential
# Trust yourself
# Trust your tribe/community
# Encourage diverse interactions
# Respect serendipity
# Become connected to your higher potential
# Feel the flow
# Learn from nature
# Create co-discovery
# Celebrate the results
# Enjoy your wellbeing

16. Community values (Urban Mill)
# Doors open for all Urban pioneers (only one big theme)
# Attract creative people, co-create meanings, make sense
# Just start and try it! Build &Test Learn Cycle (with users)
# Dialogue through boundary objects (physical, virtual, social)
# Shared resources and practices, memory of the place!
# YES, and.. (instead of NO, but..)
# Be connected, boost interactions, allow serendipity
# merge enthusiasm of youngsters to wiseness of seniors
# schools, businesses and public bodies
# Entrepreneurial action, effectual entrepreneurship
# Glocal, multi-disciplinary, cross-industry activities
# Return-on-Community (ROC) matters, space supports
source;: interview with Urban Mill Founder, Kari Mikkelä

17. Community governance (Ubuntu)
# Leading by example, in debate and in action – take action
# Delegation from the top - ”benevolent dictator”
# Support for delegation is measured – leadership as priviledge
# Discussion, data and decisiveness valued
# Open meritocracy
# Teamwork
# Credit is important
# Courage and considerateness – reasoning early
http://www.ubuntu.com/about/about-ubuntu/conduct

18. Vital element for social/bonding-> coworking space
Physical Space:
•
•
•
Chance encounters
- Peripatos
- Kitchen
- Serendipity Cafe
- Temple of Challenge
Space for insight
- Sauna, Katharsis
- Tandem Chambers
- Temple of Challenge
Work
Learn
Play
Value creation
- Hall of Potential
-
Hall of Results
Facilitation:
•
Enables community building
(bonding, social element)
- Four zones: privat, semiprivat, semi-public and
public
netWork Oasis, Joensuu Science Park

19. Urban Mill - case
Part of Aalto University’s ecosystem in Helsinki metropolitan area
- Novel solution, operations started 2013 January
- Coworking space, innovation community, change orchestration tool
- Focus on sustainable urban innovations
Challenge: How to enhance the quality of urban life and services
through ICT and built environment development and how to
orhestrate and energize urban ecosystem development
Urban Mill’s main principles:
- Joint development work guided by a co-created vision rather than by strictly preplanned processes
- Community building in focus, engagement through ”pull” factors
- Open innovation principles widely used
- New orchestration methods piloted
- Connectivity (local and global) supported
- All types of entrepreneurships are attracted – effectual entrepreneursip in focus
- Sustainability --- walk your talk, former VTT building renovated by users themselves
almost without any investments

20. Urban Mill - case.

21. FLOK society, Equador

22. MOOC communities
http://www.meetup.com/Coursera/?see_all=1
These will have an increasing impact, especially when Coursera has launced an
initiative for physical hubs where members can physically meet

23. Online communities
•
Online communities are a perfect way to connect to the information flows.
•
Important: the personal portfolio of communities
•
Mostly identity based, but bonding element is there
•
Some of them are almost perfectly balanced (KBS)
Great examples both in Facebook and LinkedIn:
 Living Bridges Planet (Facebook) – Meta Community!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/livingbridgesplanet/
 Tulevaisuusvaliokunta, Radical Technologies (Facebook)
https://www.facebook.com/groups/TuVRadikaalit/
 Serendipity Management (Facebook)
https://www.facebook.com/groups/6655331989/
 Internet of Things (LinkedIn)
http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=73311&trk=vsrp_groups_res_name&trkInfo=VSRPse
archId%3A725001385985589309%2CVSRPtargetId%3A73311%2CVSRPcmpt%3Aprima
ry

24. Examples of Facebook communities

25. Living Bridges Planet

26. Tulevaisuusvaliokunta, radical technologies

27. Serendipity Management

28. Internet of Things / LinkedIn

29. Thank you!
For further information:
Ilkka Kakko
+ 358 50 536 2941
Twitter: @Serendipitor
ilkka.kakko@karostech.fi
www.karostech.fi
www.respectserendipity.com