Abstract for: Spore: an Action-Learning Support System for Incubating Regional Cooperative Innovation Networks

This paper describes a pilot project for incubating cooperative regional innovation networks around three problematics (water, housing and goat milk production) related with regional sustainable development. Through an incubation process named Problematic-Innovation Cycle (P-I Cycle), participants collectively elaborated a set of increasingly complex set of representations, from ante-narratives and dynamic models to scenarios. Action group learning was facilitated in several settings where systems concepts and tools were applied. Four different approaches –Complex Adaptive Systems, SECI, System Dynamics and Model Based Agent- were applied to model the incubation process. The project took place in Coahuila, a northern Mexican State, with the voluntary participation of stakeholders of each addressed issue. Two types of results were obtained -knowledge systems on each addressed problematic and a set of incubation approaches- which have being incorporated into a State action-driven policy making effort to strengthen the regional innovation system by enhancing social capital as a key stock to launch cooperative innovation efforts.