Meeting the Inclusion Challenge in Innovation

User inclusion in innovation is increasingly the target of policy rhetoric at both organizational and societal levels. And extensive research has demonstrated the potential contribution that users can make, both at the ‘front end’ of innovation with their ideas and insights and downstream, facilitating adoption and diffusion. However, translating this potential into practice remains problematic, not least because we need to understand more about how to hear user voices, amplify their insights, and provide practical channels for inclusion to ensure full co-creation of innovation. Our earlier book from 2019 (‘Responsible Innovation in Digital Health’, Edward Elgar) added to the growing body of knowledge around whether users can be involved, and this book opens up the ‘how?’ theme. Our work suggested a spectrum of user involvement ranging from those who can participate fully to those who are passive players in the innovation process, and we explore in this book different tools, techniques, and mechanisms for enabling such users to become more involved in the innovation process. We look at the concept of ‘boundary innovation spaces’ as environments in which co-creation can be enabled, drawing on experience across a wide international research network. We also explore the broader innovation environment – the specific networks of actors and their interactions which define the innovation ecosystem where user inclusion may be embedded.

This book moves the discussion beyond the question of whether users can be more effectively included throughout the innovation process to explore the ways in which this might be enabled.

• An aid for practitioners and academics who want to solve practical problems concerning responsible innovation.
• Offers an international perspective, drawing on a wide range of experiences in the healthcare sector.

Tatiana Iakovleva, University of Stavanger, Norway; Elin M. Oftedal; John Bessant, University of Exeter, UK

This book is a must-read for anyone involved in the innovation process, from policymakers and engineers to healthcare professionals and entrepreneurs. It challenges the traditional, top-down models of innovation and makes a persuasive case for a user-centric approach that not only meets market demands but also enriches society as a whole. This book is more than a call to action; it’s a roadmap to harnessing the full potential of user inclusion, making it an indispensable resource for anyone striving to innovate responsibly and inclusively in today’s rapidly changing world.

Jill Kickul, Distinguished Professer in Social Entrepreneurship, EGADE Business School, Teconlógico de Monterrey, Mexico City