ABSTRACT
This chapter addresses the apparent dilemma, namely that projects are, by their nature, subject to boundary setting while also being embedded and subject to interdependencies across time and space. It looks into the literature on boundaries and interdependencies, which provides a basis for revisiting examples of innovation in construction from the research. The chapter utilizes these examples to identify and discuss various bridging initiatives between the project islands. The key argument underpinning project-based organisation is to protect the project from the constraints of the permanent organisation and ensure the flexibility needed to perform unique tasks and grasp new business opportunities. The chapter also discusses two types of bridging: bridging across time and bridging across space. It concludes by proposing a set of conditions that characterise the dual nature of projects in terms of the inevitable existence of interdependencies and also a set of conditions for how such interdependencies influence learning and innovation in construction.
