Scaling sustainable innovation: How to orchestrate ecosystems for multidimensional value creation

On Tuesday 6 January 2026, Fieldlabs@Scale hosted its first online masterclass: “Scaling Sustainable Innovation: How to Orchestrate Ecosystems for Multidimensional Value Creation”. The session brought together around 30 practitioners and stakeholders working with fieldlabs, living labs, and other testbed environments, where innovations are developed and tested before commercialization. The masterclass was led by Luca Vadacca, Marc van den Berg, and Leentje Volker (University of Twente).

A recording of the session is now publicly available (https://zenodo.org/records/18199099).

Not just a technology problem

Many sustainable innovations show strong results in pilots but stall before broader uptake. The goal of the masterclass was to offer a practical, evidence-informed way to assess early-stage scaling potential, and to discuss what ecosystem actors can do to strengthen it. The session focused on a simple message: scaling is rarely “just a technology problem”; it often depends on aligning structures, partners, governance, and institutional support around an innovation.

From research to a practical tool

The masterclass combined a short research introduction with interactive discussion and a hands-on tool. Participants explored a framework connecting three elements:

• Ecosystem architecture (how complex, ready, and diverse the partner set is)
• Orchestration model (who leads and how decisions are made)
• “Rules and winds” (regulation, incentives, and public expectations)

The research segment drew on a recent study from the Fieldlabs@Scale team on early-stage circular innovation ecosystems in the Dutch construction sector (https://journals.aom.org/doi/abs/10.5465/AMPROC.2025.18634abstract). The study uses a configurational approach to identify how different combinations of conditions can create multidimensional value (economic, environmental, and social) rather than relying on one “best practice” blueprint.

In the second half of the session, participants were introduced to a Generative AI, digital prototype - the Ecosystem Scaling Canvas - and applied it to their own contexts by mapping their ecosystem situation, diagnosing likely bottlenecks, and discussing practical levers to improve scaling potential. The tool will be made available online at a later stage.

Key takeaways

1. Scaling potential is an ecosystem property, not a single-firm achievement. Even strong pilots can stall if key partners, governance, and institutional support are not aligned.

2. There is no single “winning” model. Different ecosystem configurations can lead to strong outcomes; what matters is the “fit” between the innovation’s needs and the way the ecosystem is organized.

3. Governance and institutional context are not afterthoughts. Early decisions about roles, decision rights, and links to standards/procurement/regulation often shape whether pilots can travel beyond the initial setting.

4. A structured diagnostic helps teams act earlier. Using a shared language and a simple canvas can make ecosystem misfits visible and support more targeted interventions during the experimentation stage.

Watch the recording: https://zenodo.org/records/18199099