ABSTRACT
There is growing interest in public innovation at the level of national and transnational policy-making, regional planning and development, and local regulation and service delivery (OECD 2010). National and international decision-makers call for innovative solutions to climate change, economic crises, poverty and illiteracy, drug-related crime, and the threat from epidemic diseases. Regional policy-makers aim to manage conflicting claims on land use, build eco-friendly transport systems, and stimulate growth and employment in peripheral areas by means of innovative planning solutions. Local councilors and public managers seek to improve service quality in the face of fiscal constraints and rising demands and to offer innovative ways of regulating social and economic behavior. Although some still believe that public innovation is an oxymoron, innovation is rapidly moving to the top of the public governance agenda. There is a growing demand for innovative policies, services and forms of organizations that is accompanied by a proliferation of innovation conferences, expert reports, public–private innovation partnerships, innovation labs, training courses for change agents and innovation managers, etc. In short, the public sector is striving to enhance innovation by improving its capacity for leadership, learning, experimentation, implementation and risk management.
