September paper on 'Co-Creation in Practice: Objectives and Outcomes' by Katharina Greve, Veronica Martinez and Andy Neely
Living labs (LLs) have emerged as a popular way to support the development of new competencies and sustain competitive advantage by involving users in the innovation process. However, while co-creation in LLs receives growing attention in the literature, the notion is still in its infancy. Given its novelty, it remains unclear to which degree LLs fulfil organisations’ expectations. The extant literature discusses the benefits of co-creation and how to involve users, however, less attention is paid to the expectations that organisations have when engaging with LLs and the extent to which their project objectives are met. To address these issues, the case of JOSEPHS® - a LL located in the city centre of Nuremberg, Germany, is explored. The findings reveal that LLs not only meet companies’ initial expectations but also deliver a number of unplanned outcomes. Contributions from this paper are extremely relevant both from an academic and practical point of view. For practitioners, this work provides a comprehensive perspective for those considering utilizing a LL. This study also offers insights that can support LLs in better managing their clients’ expectations and formulate their own value propositions more clearly. Finally, it provides a better understanding of the organisational co-creation experience in LLs and adds important new knowledge to the literature.