Barriers to Innovation in Public-Private Partnership (PPP)

Louis Gunnigan, Dublin Institute of Technology
David Eaton, University of Salford

Document Type Conference Paper

Proceedings of COBRA 2008 - The construction and building research conference of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, Dublin Institute of Technology, 4-5 September 2008

Abstract

This paper sets out to identify barriers to greater use of innovation in PPP projects. Using a series of in-depth interviews with participants on two closely related PPP projects, data were gathered and analysed to compare the success of the projects in relation to innovation. The views of the participants relating to the approach to innovation were recorded and were examined relative to the views on innovation expressed in published documentation relating to these projects. The research showed that two different types of innovation could be identified – namely cost reducing innovation and product enhancing innovation. It also showed that, despite a stated desire to introduce both types of innovation, the systems that are in place for procuring PPP are focused only on achieving innovation objectives of the cost reduction variety.