Innovation has acquired a social nature in a growing, open and networked economy based on the open innovation model. Value creation is no longer the result of the work of an organisation but the result of the joint action of a network of agents. The network approach highlights the role of the actors and linkages among actors; and provides a description of the process that enables innovation through institutionalisation.

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In our investigation, we aimed to discern the Spanning Boundaries agents’ qualities, knowledge, skills, activities, roles and responsibilities as well as mechanisms in order to educate new cohorts of Spanning Boundaries agents and to support existing ones to extend and further strengthen the collaborative initiatives that help us tackle the pressing challenges of today and tomorrow. Drawing from the literature, we have created a perception survey which gathered over 400 responses across Europe…

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I am a great admirer of Walter Gropius, who, despite the adversity of the times, founded Bauhaus in Weimar in the 1920s. The establishment still stands for a unique connection between art and architecture. Gropius didn’t let himself be disheartened: after heavy political attacks, he the Bauhaus to Dessau. The Bauhaus’ leader inspired and captivated a large number of people, greatly impacting the architecture during short but fruitful existence of the company. Gropius had to assert himself against many opponents with a great deal of courage and will; and even during the times when his project was on the brink of collapse, he still managed to succeed…

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Around the world, governments and funding bodies are upping the pressure on universities to increase their commercialisation efforts. Whether it’s to generate a return on investment for public funding, or to secure new funding streams for research, universities are expected now more than ever to work with industry to license intellectual property (IP), launch spin-offs, and establish long-term strategic partnerships and knowledge exchange programs. Regardless of what sort of agreement is on the table, the negotiations between academia and industry can be long and complicated…

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Being a valuable intermediary and a change maker – or Spanning Boundaries agent – requires many different skills, personality traits and types of knowledge. Over the past few months, the Spanning Boundaries team has been hard at work investigating what it means to be a Spanning Boundaries agent, and what is needed to be effective in such a role.

Boundary spanning agents are key to the collaboration between academia and industry. However, both parties need to be ready to engage with one another for the co-operation to be successful. Here we will examine the concept of readiness with a focus on innovation from…

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The university is not an institution that could live alone in society, separated from the other actors. Universities generate impact, and at the same time are influenced by the public and private sectors, both at the local, national and international levels. The awareness about this mutual relationship has been growing over the last decades. Nowadays, universities recognise that they have a third mission…

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A Spanning Boundaries Agent knows that collaboration is key, both within institutions and across them. Charles Darwin once said, ‘’it is the long history of humankind (and animal kind, too) that those who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively have prevailed’’. The same holds true now in the 21^st century. In order to spark innovation and create change in the world, we must place the pieces of the puzzle together, collaboratively…

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