Innovation Laboratories in the Public Sector: The Current Stage of International Research and Practice

Abstract

Studies on innovation laboratories (i-labs) have been gaining increasing interest among researchers and public managers around the world, as spaces for experimentation aimed at promoting improvements in public services. In fact, many governments are turning to the implementation of i-labs, arousing interest and configuring a new element around the debate about innovation in public service. Given this scenario, this research aimed to analyze how the international academic production on i-labs in the public sector is presented. For that, a bibliometric analysis of the publications available in the Web of Science database, from 1945 to 2020, was carried out. The study channeled its analytical effort towards the understanding of four central points: 1) The framework of theoretical references used in research; 2) The relationship pattern of academic studies on i-labs developed by the scientific community; 3) The topics of interest most present in the research and their interrelationships; and 4) Partnerships or cooperation built between authors to carry out the research. The results found, in general, express the main concerns that have guided the experience of implementing innovation laboratories around the world, from a relative predominance of concerns with the experiences of i-labs in the scope of public administration, passing through its conceptual delimitation , to the description and characterization of different structures and types of i-labs.