Innovation labs: an examination into the use of physical spaces to enhance organisational creativity

Recent years have seen an increase in the number of innovation labs, purpose-built physical facilities designed to enhance and support creativity and innovation in organizations. This rising phenomenon may be driven by the increasing emphasis placed on innovation as the key to the survival of modern day organizations. Innovation labs are attracting greater attention from organizations, yet little is known about their effectiveness. Using a mixed-method approach this paper aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a major UK-based facility in enhancing creativity and to explore users’ attitudes towards this rising organizational phenomenon. The findings have implications for the management of existing innovation labs and those in the planning.