Innovation labs strategy: unfolding the multifaceted role of strategic intent

Ferney Osorio, Ferran Giones, Laurent Dupont and Mauricio Camargo

Technovation, 2025, vol. 141, issue C

Abstract: Innovation labs play a critical role at the intersection of science, industry, and society, fostering collaborative efforts to drive knowledge exchange and innovation. Despite these labs' growing presence, our understanding of the strategic mechanisms guiding their development remains limited. This study addresses this gap by examining how the enactment of strategic intent influences the evolution of innovation labs. Through a multiple-case study of three university-based labs, we uncover two strategic intent stances—amalgam and shield—that shape lab trajectories in stable and changing contexts. Further, we identify the multifaceted functions of strategic intent, showing how it integrates diverse goals or preserves the lab's ethos under varying external pressures. Our findings offer a practical framework to help innovation lab managers, decision-makers, and other stakeholders navigate complex environments and guide strategic decision-making. This research also advances the understanding of intra-organizational processes in innovation labs, providing both theoretical and practical insights into their sustainability and long-term impact.

Keywords: Innovation lab; Strategic intent; Innovation intermediaries; Organizational evolution; Multi-case study (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:techno:v:141:y:2025:i:c:s0166497225000021

DOI: 10.1016/j.technovation.2025.103170

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