Report

Innovation Brokerage – Enabling collaborations through emerging digital tech

Innovation rarely happens through the actions of a single person or organisation. More often, it is the result of collaboration and the exchange of ideas. Yet the role of intermediaries that bring innovators together is frequently overlooked, despite digital technologies offering new ways of connecting.

This report examines the phenomenon of ‘digital innovation brokerage’ that aims to connect ideas, people, organisations, and communities through digital technologies. Nesta investigated this under-explored field and found that digital tools can make important contributions throughout the brokerage process. To ensure novel ideas benefit people more quickly, they recommend that policy-makers do more to recognise the importance of digital innovation brokerage and support the field.