Designing Innovation Ecosystems from Scratch: What is your Ecosystem Role?

Researchers find it challenging to influence the shape of ecosystems towards more productive engagement. Since we are all increasingly becoming part of an ecosystem in our research environments, having a deep sense of our positions and roles within the ecosystem may help recognise opportunities and gaps for designing better ecosystems. Therefore, this Workshop aims to help researchers make sense of their research ecosystems, using a design tool developed and tested for mapping innovation ecosystems. Participants will be working in groups of five to map their research ecosystems together. We will provide you with a tool to map your positions and roles in the ecosystem. This is expected to be a quick and fun visualisation exercise to help participants locate their research position. Participants are expected to use the virtual tool to make sense of their positions, identify new contacts and ways to pursue new ties. The design tool will be uploaded onto a whiteboard.