Living labs and organizational culture: enabler or disabler of collaboration?

This study aims to investigate the presumed pivotal role played by Living Labs in shaping collaboration and competition within the specific cultural contingencies of Italian innovation ecosystems, which remain relatively unexplored when compared to the Dutch context. Drawing on the theoretical framework proposed by Enkel et al., (2009), this paper employs a single-case study methodology within an Italian innovation ecosystem. Data collection primarily relies on interviews with various components of companies operating within the innovation ecosystem and actively participating in creating, testing, and refine innovative solutions within Living Labs. The theoretical contribution of this study resides in its exploration of how Living Labs operate in the Italian context, expanding our knowledge beyond the more extensively studied Dutch scenario shedding a light into the critical factors that make a Living Lab an enabler of collaboration mechanisms. By focusing on Italy, this research broadens our understanding of the cultural nuances that influence open innovation practices. It seeks to identify the unique cultural factors and dynamics that influence the behavior of stakeholders, including individuals, businesses, researchers, and government entities when dealing with novelty, knowledge transfer, risks, and trust.