ABSTRACT

This chapter analyses how clients can organise themselves in innovation networks, establish collaboration with private and public funding bodies, and manage a range of development activities. It assesses the impacts and benefits of clients forming such innovation networks and highlights some critical dilemmas and challenges that client innovation networks may face. The chapter analyses how three groups of clients have formed strategic innovation networks in order to act as change agents in the construction and real estate industry. It points at three strategic dilemmas to be addressed by clients with regard to managing niches of innovation, aligning with landscape developments and embedding change in the sociotechnical regime of construction. Client associations may include innovation activities, but they are effectively trade organisations put in place to represent the interests of clients. Innovation networks will typically have a more narrow scope focusing on stimulating change in client organisations and/or the construction industry.