State & Local Government Policy, Business and Technology

Freedom to Fail: 4 Takes on Government Innovation Labs

Government Technology: Ask a technology executive what “innovation” means and you probably won’t get a fast, succinct or even very useful answer. Innovation is one of those things that’s hard to define, but you know it when you see it.

Nevertheless, government has started to experiment with innovation labs. While there seems to be no hard data, most observers say the trend is growing. And it’s happening at all levels of government: state, county, municipal and even school districts. But the concept of an innovation lab — a place where risky, out-of-the-box ideas are given space to grow, succeed and sometimes fail — is at odds with traditional government operations. Government likes clearly defined missions and measurable goals. Because it’s responsible for spending taxpayer dollars wisely, it shies away from risky ventures. This all makes running an innovation lab within government a tricky prospect.

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