Public innovation labs arise as arenas designed to define new solutions and create public value involving people, government officials-experts and citizens. New methodologies or working patterns are applied in these living labs, in order to develop solutions to complex public societal problems and promote transformations in public management (Criado, Rojas-Martín and Silván, 2017; Gascó, 2016). During the last ten years, public innovation labs have been launched in different countries, with different formats, and with the intent to generate dynamics of transformation in the public sector (Tonurist, Kattel and Lember 2017). Open Government / Open State or Smart Governance (post-New Public Management paradigms) are behind this new trend. They are expected to foster new forms of relations and interactions between the State and society. In other words, these emergent approaches in public management involve the enactment of transparency, collaboration and participation of citizens in public sector organizations. Also, they are concerned with undertaking collective wisdom and citizen empowerment, to such a point that they become a political subject able to heckle (and hack) government (Dias & Oliveira, 2017).
Therefore, the objective of this paper is to make a comparative analysis of the functioning of public innovation labs through two case studies: NovaGob.Lab and LineGov. These two public innovation labs are linked with public universities and their activities are delivered with the collaboration of professors and researchers. Our paper adopt qualitative methods, have a descriptive and exploratory character, and aims to analyze the current stage of implementation of these innovation labs. To conduct this research, the following dimensions will be explored: type of lab, origin, methods used, team, focus of activity, and working patterns (Mulgan, 2014; Puttick, Baeck and Colligan, 2014). This research aims at providing ideas and conclusions about the progress, limits and challenges of public innovation, in general, and innovation labs, in particular. Finally, this paper will draw conclusions on the implications of public innovation (labs) in public management change, creation of public value, and understanding of the new mechanisms of co-creation, co-production, and collaborations with citizenship in the solution of societal complex problems.
Key words: Living labs, public innovation, design-thinking, participation, co-production, co-creation, co-design.
