This research addressed a critical gap in understanding how to engage maintenance technicians with emerging technologies to foster innovation within organisations. This research was conducted as a case study at KLM Royal Dutch Airlines. Through qualitative research methods with maintenance technicians, innovation managers, and external experts, the study identified three fundamental tensions: Innovation versus Integration (balancing innovation spaces with integration into existing workflows), Efficiency versus Exploration (providing clear practical benefits while enabling autonomous discovery), and Constraints versus Co-creation (working within operational limitations while enabling meaningful participation in innovation processes).

Three technology engagement concepts emerged from the research: Tech Triage, a facilitated workshop approach using problem cards from technicians paired with technology solutions to enable collaborative problem-solving; Mech, an AI chatbot trained on organizational innovation resources to help technicians navigate complex organizational structures and access relevant technologies; and Eureka, a spatial innovation intervention that transformed everyday workplace environments into technology discovery spaces. Following stakeholder evaluation using desirability, viability, and feasibility criteria and how each concept navigated the three tensions, Eureka was selected for development and validation due to its alignment with existing workflows, minimal behaviour change requirements, and leveraging of existing infrastructure. Eureka navigated the identified tensions through "structured serendipity," bringing emerging technologies directly into breakrooms where technicians naturally gathered. It featured functional technologies for hands-on testing, peer testimonial videos, autonomous exploration, and clear pathways to deeper engagement.
Testing Eureka at KLM demonstrated strong engagement across behavioural (139 technician visits over four days), cognitive (92% actively tried to understand technology functionality, 88% recognised clear work advantages), and affective dimensions (overwhelmingly positive emotional responses dominated by fascination rather than resistance).

The research provided theoretical implications, including spatial prototyping for innovative spaces, navigating paradoxes through design to foster dynamic decision making,
and the integration of personal passions in professional identities as a critical adoption mechanism. Practical implications included the following recommendations: integrating demonstration areas into operational environments rather than segregating innovation spaces, designing peer-to-peer technology transfer systems that leverage natural champions, redesigning organisational layouts to eliminate innovation barriers through spatial prototyping approaches, and creating holistic technology ecosystems that bridge personal and professional contexts.

These findings contributed actionable strategies for creating more effective innovation ecosystems in aviation maintenance and comparable contexts. They also advance theoretical understanding of user engagement in highly regulated environments where safety requirements, operational constraints, and technical complexity amplify both barriers and enablers to technology adoption.

There are three main deliverables from this thesis:
A validated concept to foster innovation, Eureka, that KLM and other organisations can implement
A strategic roadmap to implement Eureka across the organisation
Theoretical and Practical implications for the industry and academia to foster innovation, especially in safety-critical maintenance environments.