TRADE FAIRS AND INNOVATION LABS
reflections about this articulation
Keywords:
Innovation, Trade fairs, Innovation labs, collaborationAbstract
Objective: To discuss the potential articulation between innovation laboratories and trade fairs, examining how their integration can enhance continuous interaction, knowledge exchange, and innovation generation within business ecosystems.
Design/Method/Approach: A theoretical essay based on a selection of international literature on innovation laboratories and trade fairs. The selected texts were analyzed according to their relevance to the study’s guiding questions and conceptual intentions.
Originality/Relevance: The study introduces an underexplored connection between trade fairs and innovation laboratories, proposing that labs can serve as a complementary mechanism to strengthen innovation processes within trade fair environments.
Main Results/Findings: Findings indicate that trade fairs have specific needs—such as sustained interaction, collaborative problem-solving, and knowledge exchange—that innovation laboratories are well-positioned to address. By operating together, fairs and labs can offer enhanced value to exhibitors and visitors through co-creation and innovative solution development.
Theoretical/Methodological Contributions/Implications: The essay advances the literature by presenting a conceptual rationale for integrating innovation laboratories into trade fair ecosystems, expanding theoretical discussions on innovation mechanisms associated with such events.
Social/Managerial Contributions: The insights generated support trade fair organizers and public policymakers in designing and implementing innovation laboratory initiatives within trade fairs, aiming to amplify their economic, social, and technological benefits.
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