26/03/2026 12:00

Sala Descubre/Online Teams. Edificio 8E. Acceso J - 4ª Planta | Universitat Politècnica de València. 46022

Abstract: Innovation ecosystems require governance that manages complexity while orchestrating socio-technical transitions. This presentation introduces Könnölä et al.'s (2021) transformative governance framework, balancing five features—diversity, connectivity, polycentricity, redundancy, directionality—across emergence, expansion, and maturity stages to prevent lock-ins and enhance resilience. Case Applications:

1. Finland's Transport Act (2018): National policy aimed for multimodal mobility ecosystems through data sharing and service intermediaries. Imbalanced governance showed strong directionality but weak polycentricity and connectivity, fragmenting implementation.

2. 22@Barcelona (1999-2019): Urban district evolved from industrial decline to knowledge economy hub. Expansion generated diversity (7,064 firms) and connectivity but spatial concentration (84% firms/jobs in south) persisted. Maturity reforms rebalanced directionality from economic growth toward climate transition via participatory processes.

Key Insight: Ecosystems do not tend to self-balance. Expansion phases concentrate power via network effects, eroding especially polycentricity/diversity. Framework enables anticipatory monitoring, revealing imbalances before lock-ins solidify.

Future Applications: Track feature evolution via indicators for adaptive interventions—energy transition and grid flexibility. Shifts evaluation from outputs to systemic balance for mission-oriented green transitions.

About the author:

Dr Totti Könnölä is a renowned Finnish expert in foresight, innovation and sustainability, based in Madrid since 2003. He is a manager, expert, mentor and speaker. He is the managing director of the sustainability and innovation companies Luonto, SL and Insight Foresight Institute, SL, as well as the associate professor of Foresight, Innovation and Circular Economy at the University of Alcalá. He has provided his services to several directorates-general and agencies of the European Commission and to numerous international and national entities. Among other works, he is co-author of the Palgrave Macmillan book Eco-innovation: When competitiveness and sustainability shake hands, translated into Spanish and Chinese, as well as The Circular Economy: Economic, Managerial and Policy Implications, published by Springer. Könnölä is a member of the advisory board of the Sustainability College Bruges, a member of ‘the Cotec 100’, a group of experts of the Cotec Foundation for Innovation and an advisor for Ricardo Valle Institute of Innovation. Dr Könnölä holds a Doctor of Science in Technology from the Technical University of Helsinki. He is fluent in Finnish, English and Spanish, and has an intermediate level of French and Swedish.

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