The overarching aim of this paper is to analyze the influence of stakeholders on the creation and types of innovations that projects produce. More specifically, the paper analyzes the effects of stakeholder inclusion in 281 EU funded regional development innovation projects in Finland during the 2007-2013 programming period. Project stakeholder involvement and participation is analyzed as networks of relationships which help understand how project coalitions operate and stakeholder networks effect the creation of different innovations. Our hypothesis is that inclusiveness of actors and types of actors results into more radical types of innovations. The paper thereby contributes to the understanding of the influence project stakeholder network have in the interactive governance debate.
Public policy is today implemented through a range of methods involving a multitude of actors. A growing interest in governance as a way to administer society has also given rise to an increasing use of projects in administering policy and service delivery. Projects are often viewed as mechanisms by which flexibility can be achieved and produce innovation solutions while presenting means of breaking with stability and bureaucracy within the public sector. Projects are even regarded as one of the most important structural developments in the public sector.
Projects are often perceived as being effective mechanisms that can provide unique, products, services or results on a just-in-time basis. Some even refer to projects as temporary knowledge organizations indicating that they are a fertile ground for where innovations can emerge. Projects, however, rarely operate on their own. The delivery of public services takes place in an agency networks and jointly with non-governmental actors (private enterprises, third sector organizations). A considerable amount of stakeholders are present in regional development innovation projects. The collaboration between the included stakeholders and their effect on innovation types that emerge is, however, unclear.
