The demonstration project as a tool for client driven innovation: exploring the possibilities from a Swedish perspective

This paper presents a recently initiated project that focus on client leadership in construction innovation aiming at more sustainable futures. The central questions are to study the potential for demonstration projects to support long-term and continuous innovation, implementation and learning in client organisations, and the relation of demonstration projects to other objectives and development activities in client organisations. The project is a collaborative research project involving a core group of construction clients and researchers. One main activity will be to empirically test and evaluate a set of tentative client management guidelines for the systematic and enhanced use of demonstration projects. The guidelines are based on previous research and have been developed in collaboration with the core group of clients. The paper gives a review of prospects and obstacles for innovation and diffusion of innovation, and points out and discusses seven areas that hypothetically will enhance the outcome of client driven demonstration projects: commitment and capability; analysis of demands and objectives; collaboration and dialogue; collaboration with research institutes; careful planning and realisation; documentation, follow-up and evaluation; implementation and diffusion