ekip Tools and methods

Ecosystem and Innovation Portfolio Approach as leverage

In complex areas of innovation and development, growth does not arise from a single point but from interactions between many actors in an ecosystem. To build capacity and enable scaling, organisations need strategic competence and strategic partnerships in a multi-stakeholder environment. This can be achieved by working with innovation portfolios as an approach to developing the ecosystem’s growth areas.

A portfolio gathers and organises efforts to address a shared challenge by supporting collaboration and co-creation among actors with different expertise, sizes, influence and interests, yet aligned under a common vision and agreed rules. A portfolio is subjective a chosen scope and is coordinated with selected partners following a shared development strategy. test

The Zone Model - understand when to do what

The zone model categorises activities in the innovation process into yellow, green and blue zones, representing different innovation phases. It functions as a map to help partners understand when and how to act.

YELLOW ZONE – Exploring the unknown together

The yellow zone is an open, shared and neutral space where mandates are unclear, and organisations share challenges and opportunities. Roles and ownership are undefined, requiring co-creation, neutrality and transparency. Activities include stimulation, exploration, experimentation, facilitation and monitoring to build shared knowledge. Organisations can share risks associated with the unknown. Relationship-building is essential, and participants’ commitment drives opportunities.
Type of funding: Seed funding.

GREEN ZONE – Partnership in the space in between

The green zone represents the collaborative space between organisations. Here, shared mandates require negotiation and agreement on roles, joint actions and implementation. It includes conceptualisation and consortium building around interests, specific projects and partnerships.
Type of funding: Project funding.

BLUE ZONE – In your own organisation

In the blue zone, the organisation has full mandate and control. Work takes place within organisational structures, allowing business-driven development, investment logic and scaling.
Type of funding: Investment.

The Flavour of Innovation - OPSI Innovation Tool

The Innovation Tool is based on OPSI’s Portfolio Exploration Tool and integrates zone colouring. It categorises innovation work and helps organisations understand their projects, initiatives and potential gaps. The model describes facets of innovation including enhancement-oriented, adaptive, mission-oriented and anticipatory innovation each with its own “flavour” and suitable methods. For example, anticipatory innovation uses scenario building and “What if” thinking, while enhancement focuses on improvements such as faster, better and more efficient processes.

(OPSI is a group within the OECD working on public-sector innovation.)

The Layer Model - effects in an ecosystem

This model divides development into layers defined by funding, based on the Vinnova Vinnväxt model. The adapted version for portfolios contains four levels:

How do you track changes in an ecosystem and portfolio?

LIEPT

Lund Innovation Ecosystem Portfolio Tracking (LIEPT) is a method to monitor and analyse the development of innovation portfolios over time within a multi-stakeholder ecosystem. The model tracks changes and supports dialogue in complex contexts.

Developed by the Future by Lund innovation platform, LIEPT arose from the need to identify ecosystem growth and follow themes and portfolios in ways that make them understandable and investable. By integrating models such as Vinnväxt’s layer model, OPSI’s innovation tool and the zone model, LIEPT enables visualisation and tracking of ecosystem development capturing funding, time, materials, innovation characteristics and critical events linked to a theme or portfolio.

Four Main Elements that Make Up the LIEPT Model

1. Setting the scope: Defining what to monitor by identifying themes, areas or portfolios. This subjective process establishes a baseline and clarifies who is included, which activities are involved and what should be tracked.

2. Layered model: Development is divided into four layers from core funding to partner-led projects and qualitative events connected to investment activities.

3. Data collection and visualisation: Leveraging Lund University’s tool for processing funding data combined with self-collected information makes it possible to visualise funding flows, follow-on projects and area development.

4. OPSI’s model and the zone model: Combining the Portfolio Exploration Tool with the zone model categorises innovation into four areas and uses two axes to map the character of activities. This helps visualise how portfolio activities evolve and shift over time as needs and priorities change.