Collaborative Innovation Spaces as Enablers of Collective Leadership in Catalysing Ecosystem Emergence

Abstract

This conceptual paper explores how collaborative innovation spaces (CIS) enable collective leadership in catalysing ecosystem emergence. Responding to current shifts in innovation management driven by digitalisation and platform ecosystems, this study builds on the recognition that cross-sector collaboration in ecosystems is essential to tackle complex societal challenges, from sustainability transitions to digital transformation for sustainable value creation. Although CIS, such as living labs, makerspaces, innovation hubs, virtual collaboration spaces, and communities, have been widely studied as promising arenas for open innovation and experimentation, their role in enabling collective leadership for ecosystem emergence remains undertheorised. To address this shortcoming, this study reviews literature on CIS and collective leadership, offering a novel synthesis of spatial, relational, and processual perspectives to explore the role of CIS as an enabler of collective leadership. In this paper, I define CIS as liminal: temporary, transitional spaces of being and becoming, where actors’ relation(ship)s and interactions are deeply situated in a particular setting. Such in-between, transitional states where established roles, norms, and boundaries are suspended foster alternative ways of thinking, learning, and relational dynamics. Building on relational and processual perspectives, I introduce the concept of situational embeddedness to describe how it emphasises the context-dependent nature of CIS and underscores the importance of appreciating the possibilities created by space and shared interests. It draws on the notion of the social field—the interior dimension of a social system—to argue that leadership is not just enacted by individuals but co-created through collective attention, intention, and relational presence within CIS. Consequently, CIS enables collective leadership by fostering conditions in which individual decisions, interactions, and actions within a specific context become sources of emergence, reflecting individuals' transformative potential. As a result, I develop a conceptual overview of CIS as an enabler for collective leadership in catalysing ecosystem emergence. Rather than presenting new empirical data, this study advances theoretical understanding with several theoretical contributions and provides practical implications for innovation managers, ecosystem actors, and policymakers seeking to foster collaborative approaches.