The Sustainable Innovation Network: Exploring the application of Living Labs in Circular Economy Innovation

While the value of innovation networks are long recognized within knowledge intensive contexts requiring inter-organizational co-operation, one particular form gaining increasing attention in industry- living laboratories, is comparatively less understood. The relational processes through which these physical spaces are developed and align the goals of three distinct stakeholder groups offer insights into how living labs can be sustained over time. The main aim of this paper is to investigate the activities of the main actors involved in living lab networks and how their interactions influence project development and goal orientation. Furthermore, we contribute to the understanding of relational power and the role of lead actors. The paper presents a cross-case comparison of two living labs focusing on construction industry sustainability at different stages of development and proposes propositions based on the findings