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While calls for cross-sector collaborations to tackle complex societal issues abound, in practice, only few succeed. Those that do often have a collaboration intermediary, which can bring together different actors, develop relationships among collaborators, and create an ecosystem to support ideas over time. With their strengths in knowledge creation and their role as community anchors, universities are ideally equipped to create and orchestrate support for the kind of innovation that the sustainability imperative requires. However, to be able to take on this role they need to develop a culture of open innovation, experimentation and iteration, and value, which requires supporting teams that will champion the change and facilitate collaborations among the diverse actors of the innovation ecosystem.
Cross-sector collaborations, combining the competencies, skills, and resources of diverse actors, are increasingly seen by academics and professionals alike as the best way to tackle complex societal and environmental issues — and universities are becoming key players in these collaborations.
