In-depth analysis

A common framework as basis for the in-depth case studies

We have developed a framework with 5 interactions:

1. Interaction with a funding mechanism (both private and public)

When interactive innovation projects want to gain financing, they need to develop strategies.  Sometimes they have to go through a selection process.  We want to investigate this in interaction 1.

2. Interaction within the interactive innovation case

Here we focus in the relationships and cooperation within the partnership within the interactive innovation case itself.

3. Interaction with other actors/stakeholders not formally involved in the interactive innovation project

In this interaction we are looking for the links the interactive innovation cases make with all actors/stakeholders not formally part of the partnership of the project, but still influencing the project.

4. Interaction with the context

We explore the impact of the formal regulatory or policy environment as well as the more informal social environment consisting of norms, values and culture.

5. Interaction with the societal challenge

We make a critical reflection on how the interactive innovation cases perceive their contribution to societal change.

Selection of 30 cases

30 cases were selected out of the 200 projects used in the Light Touch Review.  5 criteria were established at the start of the project to select case studies:

• Relevance and information richness – is the case helpful in answering key research questions?
• Maturity: are the developments in the case study sufficiently advanced to provide insights?
• Learning opportunity: can insights (at least partly) be expressed in more general terms?
• Feasibility: can the case study be comprehensively analysed with available data?
• Coverage: we will ensure sufficient coverage of different national AKIS and policy contexts, including a variability in sectors, stakeholders and innovation approaches.

The selection process was an interactive and participatory process including all LIAISON partners.  The process consisted of 5 steps:

1. Exclusion: one of the questions in the Light Touch Reviews was if the persons involved in the interactive innovation would be interested to cooperate in the LIAISON project as a case study. When the interviewees answered negative, cases were excluded from the selection. 
2. Clustering: the cases were clustered in 4 groups depending on the type of funding and the scale on which they operated.
3. Applying selection criteria: cases were only selected if they considered sufficiently the multi-actor approach and if they seem interesting enough to learn from (from the point of view of the LIAISON-project i.e. interactive innovation processes)
4. Categorizing: The remaining cases were labelled according to different categories.
5. Collective selection: together with all LIAISON partners we selected two cases for each partner, taking into account diversity in categories and diversity in the clusters (step 2).

The research

Once all cases are selected and have agreed to participate as a case study, the data collection can start.

In order to guarantee a similar way of collecting data by all LIAISON partners, a training was organized for all case study deputies (the persons responsible for data collection from each LIAISON partner) in Brussels.  The main objectives of the training were:

1. Getting acquainted with all information, methods, tools and instruments needed to bring the case studies to a successful end;
2. Building a common understanding of key concepts and vocabulary for the case studies;
3. Being comfortable with implementing the case study in each specific context.