Innovation Networks

INC production networks focus on the identification of innovation opportunities within a specific social innovation content area. An innovation production network performs the same functions in the social sector that commercialization entities perform in the private sector. Innovation production networks are an emerging practice area in the social sector. Part R&D lab, part best-practice networker, part business incubator, and part intellectual-property commercializer, they provide a critical structural capacity for identifying innovation opportunities within a field or sector and designing, prototyping, incubating, and scaling innovations to meet those opportunities. Innovation production networks are an emerging practice area in the social sector.

An Innovation Production Network undertakes the following functions: innovation scanning; innovation assessment and due diligence; research and development for specific innovations; and innovation distribution. They come in a variety of organizational forms – including free-standing organizations; membership structures; and project-based production networks. We believe that over time, the social innovation field in the U.S. needs a broad ―network of networks‖ that share a certain level of business discipline about social innovation and are working together to push the boundaries of how we accomplish important social outcomes and values in our society.

The work of the Innovation Network for Communities is focused on advocating for the concept of innovation networks; supporting their development; and connecting them to the work in place-based communities.