Intentional Innovation Communities: Concepts and Preliminary Evidence

This study examines Intentional Innovation Communities (IICs) as a strategy for catalyzing community-wide innovation at the grassroots level. IICs are a type of learning and innovation network blending social theories of human interaction with intentional innovation strategies supported in the entrepreneurship literature. IICs are intended to stimulate the development of intentional, community-driven networks for innovation that transcend current institutional and organizational boundaries, with an emphasis on building both democracy and strategy. The IIC model is designed to be broadly replicable. This study presents IICs conceptually and discusses key findings from pilot research that support their design. Then, case studies are presented from five communities in rural Australia, where IICs were used to form nascent network relationships and start meaningful discussions about launching community-driven entrepreneurship and innovation projects. The authors present outcomes, along with a discussion of the practical applications of the model, and new areas of research development around the IIC concept.