Organizing Open Social Innovation For Societal Challenges: Unlocking the Potential of Open Spaces

Abstract

Open Social Innovation (OSI) is gaining increasing attention in discourses among scholars and practitioners as a new approach to addressing grand challenges. However, little is known about how to organize such OSI efforts. To address this gap, this article explores the role of open spaces, especially fabrication laboratories (fab labs), in orchestrating and scaling OSI efforts. Using a qualitative investigation, the findings reveal key mechanisms enabled by fab labs to orchestrate the OSI process and scale its outcomes. Implications for research, society, and practice are then discussed.