Research Project Description
Over the last decade, the interest in public procurement of innovation (PPoI) and other demand-side innovation instruments has increased significantly. The basic idea behind PPoI is the use of public demand to trigger innovations or innovative solutions in the private sector that contribute to the societal goals and policy objectives of public organizations.
Public organizations increasingly see the importance of PPoI as an instrument to use the knowledge and expertise of private organizations to reach their societal goals and policy objectives. However, public organizations struggle with how they should implement and continuously improve the use of existing methods for PPoI to reach their own goals.
This research addresses this problem by developing and implementing an iterative learning structure for improving the use of PPoI in the physical domain of large municipalities, and continuously professionalizing public procurement with respect to PPoI on a portfolio and organizational level.
The research uses a qualitative approach which is based on Engaged Scholarship and Design Science that aims at advancing theory as well as practice. This research will contribute to theory by providing insights in how the current application of PPoI practices influences the expected application of innovative solutions in projects. Moreover, it will provide insights in the obstacles and necessary conditions for continuous learning with respect to PPoI on a project level, as well as on an organizational level.