The sensory delivery rooms of the future: Translating knowlege across boundaries in a public-private innovation partnership

One of the biggest challenges when co-designing new and innovative products, services or systems is to handle the different knowledge perspectives of the involved project partners. In design and innovation processes the ability to translate knowledge across knowledge boundaries by enrolling actors and building up stable networks is crucial for success. Transferring knowledge across functions within the same company, has proved to be a problem, however, this might be an even bigger issue when it comes to Public Private Innovation Partnerships (PPIs), where the project participants (both the selected representatives and their organisations) might have very different backgrounds, incentives and motivations for participating in the design project. This article is following the partners involved in a successful PPI, in their efforts to design 2 sensory delivery rooms at a Hospital in Denmark. The research revolves around the efforts of the lead designer from one of the private companies in building up the network around the new Sensory Delivery Rooms by drawing on previous experience and using various boundary objects at different stages in the design process.