Complex societal problems (CSPs) such as climate change, pandemics, and polarization are persistent, interdependent, and difficult to define, yet they are often reduced to binary labels like “wicked” or “tame” or high-level typologies that oversimplify their underlying complexity. This paper revisits these typologies and proposes a conceptual framework that treats complexity as a layered structure of interacting dimensions rather than discrete categories. Based on an integrative review of 25 typologies from policy science, systems science, and management, the framework organizes problem complexity into two families: system complexity (structure, dynamics, and scope) and stakeholder divergence (values, knowledge, and power). These dimensions can be visualized through multi-level representations such as radar diagrams that reveal a problem’s complexity profile. The paper outlines three modes of application: problem diagnosis to support sensemaking; frame comparison to monitor (temporal) problem perception differences; and method and governance alignment to connect salient complexity dimensions to appropriate governance instruments and systems methods. This approach reduces risks of misclassification, improves analytical precision, and provides a shared language that supports interdisciplinary collaboration. The framework offers a more nuanced characterization of CSPs and introduces concrete tools for governance and design. ... Read more

Collective action is essential for addressing complex societal challenges. To this end, cross-sector partnerships (CSP) are regarded as a key vehicle for collective action, with innovation intermediaries playing a central role in sustaining commitment and coordinating resources among other roles. Yet, many CSPs struggle to move beyond superficial collaboration, remaining characterized by fragmented efforts, misaligned goals, and limited collective impact. Despite growing attention to the role of innovation intermediaries, we know surprisingly little about how intermediation practices become effective in specific organizational and societal contexts. We fill this gap by drawing on a retrospective, multi-case analysis of six CSPs. We identify eight components of collective action: mission framing, stakeholder structuring, governance design, knowledge translation, capacity building, resource coordination, trust building, and strategic scaling. We distinguish between intermediary practices and micro-practices. While intermediary practices comprise a set of recurring support components used to facilitate CSP, micro-practices refer to their situated enactment. We show that these micro-practices are highly contingent on where and when intermediation occurs, resulting in distinct configurations across contextual conditions. We contribute a framework of contextualized intermediation thereby providing micro foundations for collective action in CSPs. By doing so, we contribute to the understanding of intermediation by demonstrating that intermediary effectiveness depends on the fit between contextual condition bundles and configurations of practices, showing how intermediaries adaptively bridge structural and behavioural dimensions of collective action. ... Read more

This report is a visionary compass for achieving the ambitious goal of Sustainable Plus Energy Neighbourhoods (SPENs). The document lays out a multi-actor framework from cutting-edge technological solutions to policy frameworks and financing strategies and provides strategic directions and best practices to scale up sustainable urban solutions. [...] ... Read more

Firms increasingly adopt digital technologies to generate environmental benefits. To maximize the impact of these technologies, they must be embedded in business models that allow the partners involved to capture economic value by collaboratively generating environmental benefits. This study examines nine cases within a European agri-food project using different value capture models to deploy digital technologies with the goal to make farming practices environmentally sustainable. We analyze and compare these cases to identify the different value capture models, the factors leading to their choice, and which implications the choice of the initial value capture model has for the potential to add more participants to the business model. Based on our findings, we develop a typology of value capture models for digitally-enabled business models for sustainability and discuss the link between value capture models and impact scaling. Our findings advance research on digitally-enabled business models for sustainability and inform practitioners of the implications tied to the choice of different value capture models. ... Read more

Emerging digital technologies enable the combination of data from different industries to create new innovation opportunities. Many firms, particularly those with underdeveloped absorptive capacity, rely on innovation intermediaries to facilitate this process. However, current theory does not fully explain how intermediaries achieve this in cross-industry settings where digital technologies drive innovation. This study investigates the question: How does an innovation intermediary contribute to the absorptive capacity of firms that collaborate in cross-industry contexts to develop digital innovations? This research examines how one intermediary enhances absorptive capacity for cross-industry digital innovation. We provide a definition for cross-industry digital innovation, a concept previously undefined in the literature. Results show the intermediary develops potential absorptive capacity but has less impact in the exploitation phase. The concept of “awareness capability,” which triggers firms’ search for new knowledge, is introduced. Additionally, specific practices of intermediaries are identified for each absorptive capacity phase. ... Read more

To bridge the digital divide and provide high-quality, reliable, and secure internet access and digital services to rural areas in Europe, there is a pressing need for new business models. Currently, many existing models are not viable in rural settings due to insufficient return on investment for network or telecom operators, which hampers the deployment of broadband infrastructure (Cavalcante et al., 2021). As a result, rural areas face inadequate digital infrastructure, impeding the roll-out and functioning of digital services (Stojanova et al., 2022). Moreso, digital services in rural areas often suffer from reliability issues, lack scalability, and struggle with interoperability due to time constraints, limited technological capabilities, and a shortage of skilled personnel for digital service development, leading to high operational and maintenance costs (Lee, 2019; Linde et al., 2023). In addition, concerns surrounding data security and trust, coupled with digital illiteracy in rural communities, as well as an overall low population density in rural areas contribute to a lack of demand for digital services (Yaacoub & Alouini, 2020; Linde et al., 2023; Palattella et al., 2016). All-inall, these challenges lead to an uncertain and unfavourable investment climate for digital services (Stojanova et al., 2022). [...] ... Read more

Angela Greco, assistant professor of innovation management at TU Delft, and Andrea Kerstens, a TNO scientist and PhD candidate in innovation management at TU Delft, draw on their experience with Syn.ikia, an EU-funded Innovation Living Lab for positive-energy building districts that leverage energy efficiency and renewable energy sources. Digital innovations like digital twins have been essential to unlocking positive-energy districts. For instance, digital twins that combine physical models of buildings and AI models of user behavior allow building districts to predict and optimize usage of excess solar energy. Their article presents three lessons learned from the project. ... Read more

Acknowledging the fundamental role of financing opportunities, this report (D.6.5) has multiple goals. First, D6.5 is aimed at providing an overview of the financial mechanisms, schemes, and resources that could play a role in accelerating the implementation of sustainable plus energy neighbourhoods (SPENs) across the four different countries in which the demo sites are situated. Second, it strives to propose a strategy to attract investors to realize the innovation(s) needed in a SPEN. And third, it consists of policy recommendations regarding the barriers and opportunities of the available financial schemes. These elements are particularly important for the realization of SPENs, since it is widely acknowledged that many investors, both public and private, are looking for new green and sustainable investment opportunities but these are often challenging to pursue due to the stakeholder diversity and complexity of innovations involved in the realization of a SPEN. ... Read more

In recent years, numerous public and private organizations have collaborated to address societal challenges through mission-driven innovation. Despite the many initiatives started with to tackle these challenges, many fail to achieve the impact they ought to deliver. Collaboration leaders frequently struggle to comprehend the complexity of their problem contexts deeply, hindering the development of effective solution strategies.

Furthermore, the contexts and ecosystems of these mission-driven collaborations vary significantly. For instance, the shift to preventive healthcare presents different challenges compared to transitioning to a processing industry capable of managing periods of abundant renewable electrical energy.

This study identifies various dimensions that can help delineate the complexity of these problems. These dimensions include convergent or divergent views on problems and solutions, ecosystem structure, stakeholder complexity, and stakeholder interdependence. ... Read more