The institutionalization of public sector innovation

ABSTRACT

Public innovation policies and programmes are increasingly governed by the central government. It is argued that this institutionalization process is rooted in cultural regimes that form our basic understanding of what innovation is and does, and it is argued that the institutionalization is unfolded in specific innovative arrangements operating within these regimes. Recent developments in Denmark are used to illustrate how this institutionalization process unfolds. In conclusion, it is suggested that an understanding of both the theoretical and the operational implications of this approach is needed, and we need to be wary of the political implications of the current institutionalization.

KEYWORDS:

• Institutionalist
• innovative
• innovation policies
• innovation programmes

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1. See the resolution defining the responsibility of the minister of innovation: https://www.regeringen.dk/media/2704/kgl-resolution-af-281116.pdf.

2. The OPM Innovation Lab in Washington DC in USA, the Labaratorio Para La Ciudad in Mexico City and the Human Experience Lab in Singapore are examples of innovation labs inspired by Mindlab (Sveriges Kommuner och Landsting 2017).

3. See the purpose clause in the agreement reached in 2013: https://www.fm.dk/publikationer/2013/aftaler-om-den-kommunale-og-regionale-oekonomi-for-2014.

4. See http://uk.rigsrevisionen.dk/media/2046631/17-2014.pdf.

5. The liberal-conservative government in Denmark has launched a new public sector reform, with the overall aim of improving coordination across the public sector. This includes new free municipality experiments. See https://www.regeringen.dk/media/5630/sammenhaengsreformen-mere-frihed-tillid-og-tryghed_web.pdf.

6. Agreement reached between the government and Dansk Folkeparti (30 November 2018). See https://www.fm.dk/nyheder/pressemeddelelser/2018/11/aftale-om-finansloven-for-2019-mellem-regeringen-og-dansk-folkeparti.

7. When appointed in 2015, the minister of public innovation was portrayed in the media as a minister of cuts. See https://jyllands-posten.dk/jptv/ECE9214837/sophie-loehde-nej-jeg-er-ikke-nedskaeringsminister/.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Ulf Hjelmar

Ulf Hjelmar is a research director at The Danish Centre of Social Science Research and holds a PhD in public administration. He is the author of a number of international articles and book chapters about innovative initiatives and programmes. He has also carried out several studies of public-private dynamics, including systematic reviews on the effects of outsourcing.