Innovation and Entrepreneurship in the Public Sector

As communities worldwide grapple with wicked problems ranging from environmental challenges to economic crises to public safety, some believe that only private business holds the solutions with new ideas. However, this book argues that the way forward will prove daunting without also activating entrepreneurship and innovation in the public sector.

In Innovation and Entrepreneurship in the Public Sector, Wendy D. Chen and David B. Audretsch provide a framework for understanding entrepreneurial and innovative activity in the public sector and seek to unlock its rich potential. First, they debunk a common myth that government cannot be innovative or entrepreneurial by exploring public innovations from a historical lens. Then, they explore the modern-day digital frontier for public innovation across the globe and the various methods of collaborative governance being used across private companies, non-profits, and most importantly, through partnerships with everyday citizens that emphasize grassroots democratic participation.

As Chen and Audretsch map out public innovations, they also take a critical view examining the dark side of public innovation, or cases when public innovation did not go as planned. Inspired by effective entrepreneurial ecosystems such as Silicon Valley, this book proposes a model for a public innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystem, highlighting key ingredients and approaches that enable successful public innovations.

Carefully discussing the challenges and future opportunities that lie with public innovation and entrepreneurship, this book lays out actionable strategies for the public sector that will transform government employees into public entrepreneurs and suggests an agenda for future research in this field.