The Tipping Wheel

Innovation Policy Fitness

The potential success of the application of the TIPPING Wheel for governance of innovation depends strongly on the motivation and willingness of policy makers and implementers to think out-of-the box and adapt their regular policy instrument mix via a more open- innovation-oriented probing and learning approach.  Based on a literature review and the practical experiences of Islands of Innovation, at least three options to enlarge what we would define as “Innovation Policy Fitness” exist: 

• Prior History Awareness;
• Innovation Mix Competitiveness;
• Program Design.

a. Prior History Awareness

In each situation, the local & regional policy makers and managers have to take into account the prior history and special pre-conditions, which play a role on the island (Rogers, 2003. Mazzucato, 2018. Boschma, 2015). For instance, when it comes to  a sustainable energy transition, some islands with nature parks and high fluxes of bird migration, might be strongly opposed to energy generation via large wind- turbines, while others are in favor Climate for Local Innovation and Ambition Action Program Design of this option. It is important to study these elements, since the success of the TIPPING approach is dependent on a focus on such issues and solution directions, which potentially are at least open for discussion for the involved island stakeholder groups. 

Boschma states: 

"History is key to understand how regions develop new growth path, as its past not only sets limits but also provides opportunities for making new combinations and diversifying into new pathways." 

A historic exploration, a SWOT analysis, or further building on the outcomes of a smart specialization strategy might deliver relevant data to see where local government challenges and focus could be aimed at in the context of a specific island. 

Examples:

RIS3 AÇORES

b. Innovation Mix Competitiveness

A central element in the TIPPING Approach is the conviction that today’s complex and unsecure innovation field requires a modern and step-by-step mix of evolving policy instruments. In that vision, cooperation, learning and probing, and facilitation are key policy concepts, where traditional regulation, legislation, and R&D subsidies alone are no longer sufficient. Compared to the traditional approach of taking winners and sectors as starting point, the modern instrument mix starts with challenges, “willers” and is mission-oriented. Moreover, instead of the initiation and execution of various more or less loose projects, a programmatic approach is considered essential, building a systematic knowledge position and -as local or regional government- helping to strengthen the regional innovation eco-infrastructure. In such a program, series of projects are well designed as systematic knowledge building blocks, allowing improvisation and flexibility, while planning via an active system of “reflective practice.” Therefore, it is important to create a climate for local innovation and the ambition for continuous probing and learning with respect to the governance instrument mix. 

Examples:

RIS3 AÇORES 

c. Program Design

Obviously, the innovation policy of islands has its normal standard requirements like proper resources (personnel, means, etc.), planning, and projects. However, instead of the initiation and execution of various more or less loose projects, TIPPING considers a programmatic approach essential, building a systematic knowledge position and -as local or regional government- helping to strengthen the regional innovation eco-infrastructure. In such a program, series of projects are well designed as systematic knowledge building blocks, allowing improvisation and flexibility, while planning takes place via an active system of “reflective practice.” 

Examples:

FRYSLAN ACTION PLAN 

Self Assessment 

Q1: So far, how active has the local & regional government (L&RG) on your island been in initiating, facilitating, and stimulating innovation? 

Q2: Particularly, have they considered building on prior history and island strengths? 

Q3: How has the L&RG stimulated the application of modern policy instrument mixes and a program, like suggested in Strategies 8a and 8c? Give your score (mark between 1-10) for the innovation policy fitness of your local/regional government so far. 

Q4: Particularly, to what extent could L&RG improve the use of the TIPPING Strategies 8b and 8c to achieve a higher policy fitness? 

At what ambition level -give your score for the future- and for which 2-4 projects should L&RG aim for innovation with respect for their fitness/modernization of the innovation policy instrument mix 

Results Innovation Policy Fitness in your case?

Working with the Creative Sector

With the rise of the creative industry, the opportunities for local governments to cooperate with the different actors from this sector have tremendously increased. In the past the creative minds of the arts and crafts people could challenge the policy makers to do things differently and think out-of-the box. Now also industrial designers, architects, graphical designers, communication and media developers, digital designers etc. are considered to be powerful partners for local and regional innovation. In terms of innovation diffusion, they are often the ones who are the “early adopters” by realizing the first applications of emerging and new technologies, in the shape of novel products and services, in the context of an island. They are also the ones that often create successful new products and services by user involvement and value creation based upon existing or slightly modified existing technologies, in the context of sustainable development. Such examples can inspire visitors from the mainland to import such technologies and applications for their own use and situation. Island government pro-active policies can include the support of festivals, expositions, events etc. where local artists, the arts and crafts demonstrate and discuss the potential of these new technologies for and with tourist and professional visitors to their island. Not only new technologies, but also the realization of new societal concepts, like islands’ water- and energy-self-sufficiency systems, can profit from the often original visions, comments and practical contributions from the creative class living and/or working on islands. 

To emphasize the relevance of the creative industry –presented here as “broad based design”- for economic development, we cite the European Design Innovation Initiative (2012): “It is acknowledged that non-technological innovation, including design, (of products, processes and services), as well as culture- based creativity, are important tools for competitiveness and growth in order to improve the quality of life for the citizens of Europe.” and;  “Whilst technology-driven innovation has been a fundamental contributor to the prosperity of Europe, the recognition is emerging that design-driven, non-technological innovation is now also a route to competitiveness. The economic significance of design is based on its potential as an enabler to create reliable, desirable, user-driven products and services that are ecologically and economically responsible.” 

Island governments have several options to stimulate and facilitate the creative industry potential on their island. We recommend the following ones: 

• Stimulate Experiments with New Technologies and New Societal Concepts 
• Stimulate the Development of Creatives’ New Products and Ventures 
• Stimulate New Markets for/with the Creative Industry, including Own Procurement 

a. Stimulate experiments with new technologies and new societal concepts

With so many new technologies emerging, creative industry actors
can be facilitated to find new applications for these technologies. Particularly, we are thinking of technologies, which can be applied on a small-scale level, such as: 

• 3D printing; 
• Modernized production technologies aimed at textile fabrication and fashion; 
• Bio-based materials, both from land and sea; 
• Sustainable energy technologies;
• Digital design and game technology, etc. 

Likewise, the creative industry can be invited and stimulated to take the lead in societal challenges on islands, like: 

• Waste prevention, resources efficiency and circular economy; 
• Turning plastic waste into valuable artifacts and art; 
• Helping solve disputes between agriculture and nature with creative solutions, etc. 

Examples:

3D PRINTING LAB VLIELAND

b. Stimulate the Development of Creatives' New Products and Ventures

Directly or indirectly, island governments can stimulate their creative industries (arts and crafts, product designers, architects, communication and media designers, service and app developers, etc.) to develop new, sustainable concepts based upon local conditions and strengths. With an emerging tourism market on many islands, new products based on local -not yet fully explored- materials for instance, can create interesting new product-market combinations, that tourists love to buy. Such local materials could be produced through new applications of known natural resources, like cork (isolation), shells (building material), wool (isolation) and grain (local food, local beer). 

They are also valuable for completely new products and ventures with new sources of inspiration, like the use of seaweed for food and cosmetics or the use of salty water areas for the growth of high-quality salty food plants. Likewise, algae from the sea are now used as building blocks for the small-scale production of bio-based materials, applied in furniture, house building, etc. (Source: Studio Veenhoven, 2017. Amaral, 2019). The local government can support the on- island creative community in their discovery of such new options. Not only with the establishment of new creative businesses and alliances on the island but also by actively mobilizing their policy network on the mainland and EU-wide. 

Examples:

VLIELAND’S OWN NATURAL BEER 

CEREAL GAMES 

c. Stimulate new markets for/with the creative industry, including the own procurement

Island governments can stimulate new markets for new services offered on-island by local producers. For instance, local biologically responsible food from innovative suppliers can be offered at events or for daily use in the municipality cantinas and local municipal institutions, such as schools, etc. Also, the municipality could be among the first to become a client at an island cooperative or agency that supplies sustainable energy (the local energy company). More indirectly, island governments could support promotion of the “export” of such products and services to the mainland. This can be done by promotion via the website, the tourist office, and other channels like billboards on the ferry boats. 

Examples:

PODIUM VLIELAND 

MARCA AÇORES 

Self Assessment

Q1: Who do you define as the creative industry on your island? 

Q2: What have they contributed so far on the island with respect to innovation? 

Q3: How has the local government (LG) stimulated the creative sector to contribute? Give your score (mark between 1-10) for the LG activities so far. 

Q4: Particularly, to what extent has LG used the TIPPING Strategies 1a, 1b and 1c? 

Q5: In your opinion: for which projects and how could LG stimulate the creative sector to make a higher contribution? 

At what ambition level? Give your score for the future- and for which 2-4 innovation projects should LG aim for in cooperation with the creative sector? 

Results Working with the Creative Sector in your case?

Long-term Cooperation with SMEs and NGOs

For the TIPPING Approach, the “open innovation” model is the backbone of our cooperation style with industry and NGOs. In and around the Innovation Funnel, companies and local & regional governments work together in an innovation-ecosystem, as already depicted in the dance floor model of Figure 1. Various others have pointed at the essential role of government in this respect, not only as a supporter of but also as a long-term partner for SMEs and/or non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in this ecosystem. Mazzucato in particular pleads for a longer-term cooperation between government and promising start-ups and SMEs in innovation processes, with clear agreements on sharing potential future profits. 

This requires (1) bureaucrats who are active out in the field; (2) who allow risk taking and failure; and (3) ambitious and challenging goals (Mazzucato, 2018). In addition, in pioneering island practices, we can also distinguish approaches in which large companies test their new, sustainable technologies through island experiments. Often, testing involves a crucial role with respect to the user experience but also learning trajectories for island engineers, installers, and other technical disciplines as early adopters. Several options can be mentioned under this strategy, from market stimulation to product development and experimentation; and from talent support and skill development to pressure cooking instruments as well as advanced business models. 

Specifically, this chapter focuses on the following options:

• Supporting Specific High Potentials
• Stimulate the Market for Local Products and Produce 
• Stimulate and Support Product Development 
• Facilitate Pressure Cookers
• Facilitate the Use of Modern Business Models 

a. Supporting specific high potentials

On each island or archipelago of islands high potentials emerge: Small companies with often radical new ideas with a promising impact if successful, like for environmental issues, social care, ecotourism development, new ways of education, etc. 

It is important for the local government to take extra and long- term care of these often vulnerable companies, to help them grow-up. 

Local government can not only help by becoming a trustful interim- partner for these talents, but also by writing joint project-proposals which could for instance be financed by regional and national agencies. Moreover, they can co-promote the first prototypes delivered by the high potential on potential markets and within the own organizations. In addition, they can draw attention from the politicians for these potentials, leading to extra promotional support. 

Examples:

GRENDEL GAMES FRYSLAN 

LOCAL MASTIHA PRODUCTS 

b. Stimulate the market for local products and produce

Island municipalities and their larger regions can play a significant role, both directly and via indirect ways, in helping to stimulate the market for their locally produced goods and services. Directly: for instance, by becoming a -larger- user of the local producer’s services. Indirectly: by promoting those services or supporting the local organization with innovation subsidies and/or with the formation of a strong business- infrastructure, for example, with the options to trade and test local products during public events, e.g. festivals, fairs, etc. 

Examples:

FEMI ON GUADELOUPE 

WALKME APP 

c. Stimulate and support Product Development

As a local/regional government you can support the development of new products, services, and processes by your local industries. This may include more efficient production processes, with more efficient use of local resources. It can also concern new concepts like circular design (slowing, narrowing and looping the material fluxes on the island), the combined design of products and services (PSS), ecologically responsible landscape and town development, nature services, and new business development. 

As partner in these development processes, a basic understanding of design methodology and tools is recommended. Good starting points are industrial design programs like those from the Aalto Design Factory (2018) and the Delft University of Technology, with its’ Delft Design Guide (2010). With respect to the creation of novel product-service combinations, Bocken et al (2013) propose a straightforward method based on a value mapping tool. 

For island urban development methodologies such as that from RMIT on sustainable scenario development and eco-acupuncture (Gaziulusoy & Ryan, 2017), or from AMS Amsterdam -Institute of Advanced Metropolitan Studies- are also sources of inspiration (AMS, 2018). Most recently, Fabrizio Ceschin of the Brunel University London and Idil Gaziulusoy of Aalto University Finland published a comprehensive overview of the design for sustainability field (Ceschin and Gaziulusoy, 2019). A PDF version of the book is available for free in Open Access from Routledge at www.taylorfrancis.co. If local governments want to be a serious partner in a TIPPING development process, basic knowledge of such methods and tools is a must. 

Example:

CIRCULAR VLIELAND 

CUPJE 

d. Facilitate Pressure Cookers

Pressure Cookers are design- creativity based events in which stakeholders and creatives attempt to find solutions for certain local or regional problems within a short period of time (under pressure, in 1 day for instance). Pressure Cookers have proven to be very effective and efficient means to suggest options and ideas out-of- the-box, particularly for complex and persistent problems (House of Design, 2018; DeLille et al, 2010). 

Since the organization and execution of a pressure cooker can be realized in a low-cost way – mainly via the creative brains of the involved participants and their facilitators- it is a highly recommendable tool for innovation in a TIPPING context. Particularly, at the start of an island challenge, local and regional governments are advised to stimulate or take the initiative in the use of this tool. 

Example:

EU REGIO CRAFT PROJECT 

e. Facilitate the use of modern business models

Policy makers and implementers can also act as supportive agents and intermediaries of modern business models in different contexts. Two approaches should be mentioned here, the more generic effectuation model approach, and since islands in comparison to the mainland are usually isolated when it comes to the fast availability of various resources, the Bricolage model. 

Sarasvathy (2008) and Keskin (2015) argue that for successful start-up innovation, standard-marketing approaches are less relevant. They argue that instead, the understanding of the behaviour of “expert entrepreneurs” is crucial, as illustrated via a special framework of the Effectuation Model. This model includes four main “effectuation principles” which are essential for the explanation of entrepreneurial decision-making logic in uncertain situations. 

Birds in hand 

• The process starts with means (not specific goals). 
• A certain dream or motivating perspective is leading: what do I want to achieve? 
• Ask yourself these 4 questions: Who am I? What do I know? What are my potentials? Whom do I know? 

Affordable Loss 

• Don’t take big risks. 
• How much loss can I afford (instead of asking: how much will I gain)? 

Crazy Quilt 

• Partnership is crucial, with self-selected stakeholders who make real commitments. 
• Sharing risks. 

Lemonade 

• Aim to exploit unexpected contingencies. Make lemonade out of it. 

Example:

SUSTAINABLE DANCE CLUB 

Self Assessment

Q2: What have they contributed so far on the island with respect to innovation? 

Q3: How has the local government (LG) stimulated SMEs & NGOs to contribute? Give your score (mark between 1-10) for the LG activities so far. 

Q4: Particularly, to what extent has LG used the TIPPING Strategies 2a - 2e? 

Q5: In your opinion: for which projects and how could LG stimulate the island’s SMEs & NGOs to make a higher contribution? 

At what ambition level? Give your score for the future- and for which 2-4 innovation projects should LG aim for in cooperation with the SMEs & NGOs? 

Results Long-term Cooperation with SMEs and NGOs in your case?

Stimulating the Young Entrepreneurs Network

Facilitating and accelerating the activities of young people on islands, and attracting them there in the first place, are crucial elements for the innovation policy. For those islands and regions, which are large and fit enough to maintain a higher education institute, either a Polytechnic or University, a good basis and facilities exist for a contribution of students and staff to dedicated innovation trajectories on the island. Longer-term research of those institutes can even help to build a unique knowledge base, with specializations that are both a structural source of innovation, export and income for the island. 

Smaller islands usually do not have this opportunity. In this case, the local government can foster “lean and mean” facilities, which even on a modest scale can bring an extra impulse of innovation to the island. Within TIPPING we distinguish three options, aimed at student contributions from mainland higher education institutes, the establishment of working and housing facilities for research project- and internship-guests and NGO- (Non- Governmental Organization-) facilitation. 

The key options highlighted in this chapter are: 

• Support Students’ Innovation Projects
• Help to Create Housing and Working Facilities; 
• Facilitate the Establishment of Living Labs and Competence Centers. 

a. Support students’ Innovation Projects 

Municipalities or regional island authorities can support initiatives, which bring students and their projects (thesis, graduation, PhD fieldwork, internship, special course/curriculum, etc.) to the island, to explore the islands’ problems and opportunities from a fresh perspective. Although some of the resulting ideas and proposals might be too idealistic for direct implementation, they can help to set the agenda for innovation on the island and lead to structural cooperation with mainland higher education in different disciplinary backgrounds. 

Islands should profit from their unique position, being perceived by students and staff as places “par excellence” to discuss and test out new ideas in isolation and on a small scale. 

Local governments are in the position to strengthen the initiatives of island individual firms, NGOs, and sectorial organizations (agriculture, fisheries, services, tourism, recreation, transport, etc.) that are looking for student input from the mainland. Particularly from a municipality, a relevant own initiative in hiring students for interesting projects would be expected to set the leading example and create a “lighthouse” position. 

Examples:

TEXLABS 

ENTREPRENEURSHIP TRIPLE HELIX (ETH) 

b. Help to create housing and working facilities

Local governments can support the longer stay of students and staff from the mainland by providing housing and working facilities. Islands with one or more own institutes of higher education will usually possess an infrastructure for this. Others will have to improvise with the means available at hand and/or efficiently create new basic facilities. On islands with a high amount of touristic resorts, hotels, and holiday homes, ample possibilities will exist to host students and staff, particularly off-season. 

Example:

SAMSOE ENERGY ACADEMY 

c. Facilitate the establishment of Living Labs and Competence Centers

Islands are excellent places to establish living labs. Living labs can mean an environment for experimentation and testing;  a methodology/approach, and a system for innovation for generating and testing innovative products, concepts, and services in a real-life environment. Living labs enable people, users/ consumers of services and product, to take active roles as contributors and co-creators in the research, development, and innovation process. The starting point for any living lab is to, in close cooperation with involved stakeholders, develop product and services from the basis of what users really want and need. The main role of the living lab is to engage and empower users  to participate in the creation of valuable and viable assets. 

Living labs on islands can be central meeting places, often with only simple technical facilities, serving as idea generators and project builders for innovation. The island setting -certain isolation- can serve as an additional factor for experimenting in a contained, real-life environment. Local and regional governments can help initiatives in this area, for instance, in connection with the many arts, crafts, (pop-)music, cultural-, tech-, etc. festivals and events that are commonly organized on islands. Since these festivals attract a lot of young talented people from both on-island and the mainland, an outstanding opportunity emerges to turn festival projects into longer-term programs for living labs on islands. 

Example:

LAB VLIELAND 

SAAREMAA SMALL CRAFT COMPETENCE CENTER 

EDUKONTOR 

Self Assessment

Q1: Who do you define as the “young entrepreneurial potential” on and for your island? 

Q2: What have they contributed so far on the island with respect to innovation? 

Q3: How has the local government (LG) stimulated the network of young entrepreneurs to contribute so far? Give your score (mark between 1-10) for the LG activities so far. 

Q4: Particularly, to what extent has LG used the TIPPING Strategies 3a, 3b and 3c? 

Q5: In your opinion: for which projects and how could LG stimulate the young network of entrepreneurs to make a higher contribution? 

At what ambition level? Give your score for the future- and for which 2-4 innovation projects should LG aim for in cooperation with the young network of entrepreneurs? 

Results Stimulating the Young Entrepreneurs Network in your case?

Foster the Import & Export of Knowledge

The import and export of novel knowledge, knowhow, and skills can be another important leverage point for local and regional innovation governance. With a university or polytechnic active on the island, national and international scientific exchange programs will be the natural situation. But even in that case, and particularly for islands, which do not have a higher education institute, the next policy options can deliver added value. The TIPPING Approach includes: best practice benchmarking, “next practice” proposal writing, tool creation and diffusion, and the creation of “flagships.” 

This chapter describes and gives examples of: 

• (Inter-)national Benchmarking of Best Practices 
• Formulate “Next Practice” Project Proposals 
• Educative Tool Development and Diffusion 
• Create and Demonstrate Flagship Innovations 

a. (Inter-)national benchmarking of Best Practices

When it comes to innovation, popular thinking often embraces the idea that only via research and development and completely new technologies innovations are achieved, based upon unique intellectual property rights. However, in contrast to industrial practice, particularly amongst SMEs, the regular approach is to compare the quality of one’s own products with those of the competition. By “product and service” benchmarking, detailed insight can be gained from relevant solutions by others active on the market. Although this approach is sometimes shed in a negative light because of its association with blind copying, in terms of smart innovation it absolutely makes sense, and that’s the reason its use –particularly in an informal way- is widespread around the world. Experiences with environmental benchmarking of electronic products and other household goods have proven to deliver considerable progress in terms of sustainability for all producers and consumers, contributing to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN, 2017) over the years (Brezet & van Hemel, 1997; Stevels, 2007). 

Island governments can apply benchmarking from their island or regional perspective, but also stimulate certain sectors or branches on the island to compare their offerings with those from other islands. Particularly when it comes to the benchmarking of what are generally regarded as European or global “best practices” it makes sense to study, visit and analyse them, to see whether essential elements can be “scenario-free” adopted, even if the context is different. In the TIPPING Approach, the stimulation of best practice benchmarking is considered to be a key element for innovation. 

Example:

SAMSOE ENERGY ISLAND 

b. Formulate “Next Practice” project proposals

Innovation projects require appropriate project proposals; either aimed at direct industrial financing, or co-financed by local, regional, (inter-) national or other special funds. A way for local governments to gain the best results from these projects, is to demand that -part of- the content in such proposals be built upon best practices, and thereby include the so called “next practices” as the logical follow-up. This approach is very much in line with the step-by-step “probing and learning” theory and practice, which for instance has made the Danish wind industry a world leader. By stimulating researchers and their innovation funnel partners to include next practice elements in their project proposals, innovation on and via islands can be fostered and accelerated in a cumulative way. 

Example:

c. Educative tool development and diffusion

Educative and training tools can be a powerful means in the diffusion of innovations, stand-alone or as part of larger communication and education activities and programs. They can be of serious nature, like reports, guides, videos and manuals with worksheets, or involve modern social media including websites and more playful games, from modern digital ones to old fashioned cards, which attempt to get the users actively involved. Their orientation can be aimed at different target groups, like students, end-users or involve a train-the-trainer perspective. Local and regional governments are challenged to help innovators in the development and diffusion of such tools, and advise them on potential cooperation with tool developers, from universities to game designers and communication and media consultants. The outcomes of the tool application on another island or field can help to build additional knowledge, in line with a practice-based research approach. 

Example:

ONLINE LOCAL PIONEER COMMUNITIES 

d. Create and demonstrate flagship innovations

In the TIPPING concept, it is a serious co-responsibility of island governments to help entrepreneurial agents create, probe and learn from, as well as communicate on local innovations. With this open- innovation model and innovation funnel in mind, the TIPPING approach proposes to consider policy makers and managers on islands as special, but serious and relevant co-designers and accelerators of potentially powerful regional innovations. 

Particularly, for this argumentation, Mazzucato demonstrates that co- creation and long-term cooperation of governments and industry are needed particularly for those common-good innovations that otherwise never would have been addressed by industry alone (Mazzucato, 2018). By structurally helping in and around the innovation funnel, the chances of local flagship innovation success definitely will be relatively higher and create a unique and competitive position. Once unique flagship innovations have been demonstrated on the island, local governments should also contribute to their promotion and export, including the use of soft and informal instruments. 

Example:

AIR CENTRE AZORES 

Self Assessment

Q1: Who do you define as the “knowledge actors potential” on and for your island? 

Q2: What have they contributed so far on the island with respect to innovation? 

Q3: How has the local government (LG) stimulated the knowledge sector to contribute? Give your score (mark between 1-10) for the LG activities so far. 

Q4: Particularly, to what extent has LG used the TIPPING Strategies 4a - 4d? 

Q5: In your opinion: for what projects and how could LG stimulate the knowledge sector in and around your island to make a higher contribution? 

At what ambition level? Give your score for the future- and for which 2-4 innovation projects should LG aim for in cooperation with the knowledge sector? 

Results Foster the Import & Export of Knowledge in your case?

Community Involvement

Although local and regional governments themselves already represent a democratic form of “community” from an innovation perspective, additional community formations might be stimulated as well to fulfill certain societal tasks, in which a strong majority support of the inhabitants is needed, and special interests are at stake. In such cases, the need felt on islands “to keep things in our own hands” can be transformed in own communal organizations, with stakes for everyone. 

Typical issues for which these special communities might create appropriate solutions are ferries and other public transport, energy and water services,  tourist resort building, nature protection, etc. Some of these aspects, like nature protection, might already be covered by -also locally representative- national organizations or NGOs in the area of nature and landscape conservation, bird protection,  plant and tree protection, etc However, with the transition to a more sustainable society and the UN Sustainable Development Goals as the ambition (UN, 2017), new special community tasks emerge all the time. Local and regional governments  can facilitate these special communities both at their establishment and while in charge their special tasks. 

Another responsibility of the island government is to develop future visions, which are challenging, attractive, and realistic when it comes to feasibility. Consulting and otherwise involving the inhabitants and other island stakeholders, in a well-designed democratic and transparent way, in decision-making with respect to the steps to be made and innovation required, is part of the government’s job. Included in such a process can be elements of competition, like when multiple villages on an island start an open competition to become “the best,” for instance in sustainable transport or housing, in promoting an active contribution to the solution of the island’s issues, etc. 

Along this line, TIPPING recommends island governments the use of the following “community” related policy options: 

• Create a Challenging Vision 
• Working with the UN SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) 
• Communicate for Acceptance (E = C x A) 
• Organize Community Competitions

a. Create a challenging Vision

Local or regional governments can help formulate a challenging vision for the future, including urgencies to consider as policy priorities. For instance, many islands are by definition confronted with the consequences of climate change or face a net outflow of young island- born talents, who move to the mainland for career opportunities.  The backcasting scenario approach is an interesting methodology here: Reasoning back from a desirable future scenario to today, while step- by-step envisaging obstacles to overcome and benefits to profit from along the journey with the involved stakeholders (Quist, 2007; Quist, 2013). Also mentioned here should be the eco-acupuncture approach of Melbourne based Prof. Chris Ryan et al (Gaziulusoy & Ryan, 2017), using participatory design visioning for sustainable urban transitions. Undoubtedly, this is an interesting approach for sustainable island futures and innovation road mapping. 

Example:

ECO-ACUPUNCTURE

b. Working with the UN SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals)

When developing your local or regional vision, it makes absolute sense to take the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals as points of departure. With 17 goals and 169 sub goals and a similar large amount of indicators the end eavour seems at face value quite bureaucratic and a mission impossible. However, these challenges can be overcome by a smart, efficient and well planned local or regional program. 

The attractiveness of the UN 17 SDG Goals is that they involve a holistic approach, with comprehensive, global values: social aspects like poverty, inequality, cultural values, education facilities, gender issues etc. are considered equally or even more important than “classic sustainability” aspects, such as environmental impact and economic viability. (Reubens,  2016). Therefore, frontrunners among countries, regions, cities, companies, universities etc. are quite active in adopting the UN SDG Goals, discussing what the consequences are, how the goals in an concerted action by all stakeholders can be realized and who can contribute what over time. 

Joint regional programs are designed in such a way that the SDG Goals are integrated in larger themes and tasks are divided over time and between stakeholders, to increase the feasibility. It is absolutely clear that public municipalities and regional entities, as close partners of the national government, have a special responsibility for these initiatives and should adopt a facilitating role in developing a local or regional SDG program on their island. Such a process could go very well hand-in-hand with the approach described above, regarding using Backcasting scenario’s for vision development. 

Example:

MEGA PROJECTS AALBORG 

c. Communicate for Acceptance (E=C x A)

In communication practice, the law of Wibier* says: the effect of an innovation project = communication x acceptance. In other words, important project outcomes and lessons should both be communicated very well and in such a way that broad support from island stakeholders will be gained. Of course, this is a message for innovation project stakeholders, but also to local governments who can play a special role in safeguarding this ‘law of practice’ and stimulating its application. 

Example:

THE JAFA PROGRAM 

d. Organize Community Competitions 

Another way to involve the community in new developments is to challenge them and other stakeholders via competitions. The local government can choose to initiate its own competition, like on “who has the best idea for a sustainable neighborhood?”, or choose to support a competition initiated by industries, SMEs, local science institutes, etc. The awards do not necessarily have to include high-cost premium prizes. Often the honour of winning is significant enough to drive participation. Since nowadays so many competitions are on national television shows, like “The Best Idea of ....” and “Design and Entrepreneurship Competitions” it might be worthwhile to look at their formulas as well, to create a “Best Idea of Island X”, or a student/young entrepreneurs competition with support of local media, etc. 

Example:

REGIONAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP COMPETITION 

TEXEL BIG DAY 

Self Assessment

Q1: Who do you define as the community on your island? Do you have (aside from the regular democratic representation) influential groups, like village committees, branch organizations, or other special interest groups? 

Q2: What has the “community potential” contributed so far on the island with respect to innovation? 

Q3: How has the local government (LG) stimulated the community to contribute? Give your score (mark between 1-10) for the LG activities so far. 

Q4: Particularly, to what extent has LG used the TIPPING Strategies 5a - 5d? 

Q5: In your opinion: for what projects and how could LG stimulate the “community potential” to make a higher contribution? 

At what ambition level? Give your score for the future- and for which 2-4 innovation projects should the LG aim for in cooperation with the community? 

Results Community Involvement in your case?

Crowd Co-Design

We use the following notions in this strategy, aimed at stimulating crowd co-design. 

Crowd (a) 

visitors, various types of tourists (holiday, professional, academic); 

Tourism and recreation 

from mass to eco-/nature tourism to nano-tourism; 

Crowd (b) 

also contributors and sponsors from the mainland (like mainland members of an island’s nature, sports -golf, hiking, cycling etc.- and culinairy experience groups, born islanders living on the mainland, etc.) 

Crowd co-design is a powerful strategy for local and regional policy makers to create a fly-wheel effect. Amongst other strategies, they can achieve this by: 

• Stimulate Innovation-driven Events and Festivals 
• Foster Experiments through Nano-tourism 
• Involve Visitors as Innovation Ambassadors 

a. Stimulate innovation-driven events and festivals

Events and festivals which aim to further develop or showcase innovations are a great tool for stimulating sustainable development. They encourage people to gather together, exchange ideas, and can even be used as a test ground for up-and-coming technologies and/ or sustainable services. Furthermore, events can be strategically dated to attract visitors to the island during the off-season, which can lead to more secure employment opportunities for those within the hospitality and tourism sectors. 

Example:

AMELAND ART MONTH 

INNOFEST 

b. Foster experiments with nano-tourism

Nano-tourism can realize best or next practices within crowd co-design: 

Nano-tourism is a new, constructed term describing a creative critique to the current environmental, social, and economic downsides of conventional tourism, as a participatory, locally oriented, bottom-up alternative. .... It operates as a social tool to stimulate mutual interaction between the provider and user by co-creation or exchange of knowledge. It is not about scale but is a projected ability to construct responsible experiences from the bottom-up, using local resources. Nano-tourism is beyond tourism, it is more an attitude to improve specific everyday environments and to open up new local economies. 

Example:

SPORT DIVERS AS WASTE COLLECTORS 

GREEN VI 

c. Involve visitors as innovation ambassadors

Visitors can be regular island guests but also people who are on the island for just a music festival or an academic conference. Visitors and former inhabitants from the island are the ambassadors of new developments “par excellence.” 

Example:

TEXLABS CERTIFICATES 

Self Assessment

Q1: Who do you define as the “crowd” (visitors, etc.) on your island? 

Q2: What have they contributed so far on the island with respect to innovation? 

Q3: How has the local government (LG) stimulated the crowd to contribute? Give your score (mark between 1-10) for the LG activities so far. 

Q4: Particularly, to what extent has LG used the TIPPING Strategies 6a, 6b and 6c? 

Q5: In your opinion: for what projects and how could LG stimulate the actors of the crowd to make a higher contribution? 

At what ambition level? Give your score for the future- and for which 2-4 innovation projects should LG aim for in cooperation with the crowd? 

Results Crowd Co-Design in your case?