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The starting point of this study is a broader review of literature related to innovation partnerships. Based on that review, the concept of Living Labs was identified as a proper enabler of regional collaborative innovation between a variety of stakeholders. Then, the aim was to identify the practices for successful collaboration of Living labs through comparative case study in five European countries, i.e. Austria, Denmark, Finland, Netherlands and Sweden. As a result, we clustered the success factors to four categories: 1) shared vision, 2) funding and operational model 3) collaboration (including orchestration) and complementary partners and 4) value co-creation and impacts of the collaboration. As a practice-oriented comparative case study, there was only limited theoretical contributions; the linkages between different concepts was demonstrated both at literature and at practice.

Multi-actor collaboration is necessary for sustainability-oriented innovations. Thus, despite the common focus on sustainability, differences between the interests of industry (or a firm) and society hinder knowledge sharing, integration, and the protection required for the transformation. Through a case study of bio-based plastics ecosystems, this paper evaluates e role of knowledge sharing and protection methods in boosting collaborative sustainability-oriented innovation. The results indicate that fostering systemic collaborations for sustainable innovations requires finding a proper balance between protecting and sharing Intellectual Property Rights (IPR). This balance depends on the objectives of the ecosystem-level collaboration and the actors involved. Accordingly, this supports minimising the risk that protection may hamper collaboration, adoption, and diffusion of sustainable innovations and practices.

Framing of the research. Despite the expanded research and innovation activities around smart construction, there is still a lack of empirical studies of platform business emergence and related market-entry models and strategies. Studies have still focused more on the technologies themselves and the single-firm level, but less on platform-based value compositions at the ecosystem level. Purpose of the paper. The purpose of this study is to increase empirical understanding on the emergence of platform-based business from an ecosystem perspective and to examine related alternative market-entry models and strategies in smart construction. Methodology. The empirical study is based on a longitudinal qualitative and multi-method case study, conducted in Finland between September 2020 and December 2021. Results. First, the study demonstrated the emergence of platform-based business from an ecosystem perspective and co-design of related alternative market-entry models and strategies in smart construction. Second, five alternative platform-based entry models were classified with preferences among ecosystem actors. Further, platform-based entry models seemed to embed several optional platform entry strategies. Third, the findings indicated a critical role of the clear visionary leader for orchestrating and facilitating a co-evolutionary process. Research limitations. This empirical study is based on a single case study in the ongoing co-evolution state. Thus, the findings are only tentative and open avenues for further studies. Managerial implications. The paper provides a deeper understanding on platform ecosystem emergence in smart construction in platform ecosystem establishment. Particularly, the adjusted conceptual frameworks may support ecosystem orchestrators and involved actors when evaluating alternative market-entry models and strategies for further development. Originality of the paper. The paper brings new empirical insights to identified research gaps by demonstrating complex and dynamic emergence and co-evolution of platform-based innovation towards co-designing alternative platform-based market entry models and strategies from an ecosystem perspective in smart construction.

Partnership models that combine the efforts of private and public sector are important means of creating attractive environments and incentives for long-term cooperation between academia, business, and other research, development and innovation (RDI) actors. One of the strategic priorities of the Finnish National Roadmap for Research, Development, and Innovation, launched in 2020, is the development of a new public-private partnership (PPP) model to accelerate RDI cooperation between higher education institutions, research institutes and business. Finland aims as a national target to increase the investments of RDI-activities to 4% of GDP.This study aimed to support the development of this partnership model. The study was commissioned by three Finnish export federations: The Forrest Industry, The Chemical Industry and the Technology Industry. The study was conducted by Gaia Consulting Oy and VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland in the spring 2022