ABSTRACT
MindLab was originally established in 2002 to provide project support for the Ministry of Business. In 2006 it was re-conceived and re-established as a cross-ministerial cooperation project aimed at introduces the Danish government administration to the ideas and praxis of design. The organizing principle of MindLabs has been centred on legitimacy and agency needed for enacting change. Its internal organization anchored by a top-management board provides an overarching strategic view. Physical space has been however more than a part of communication and branding for MindLab. A safe space is frequently needed when introducing new and potentially challenging agendas. Recruiting for MindLab is based on the theory that social capital and social skills are characteristics for institutional entrepreneurs. Social skills can be seen as the ability not only to use a given position of the organization or the individual, but also to bring the right' people together and to be empathetic.
