What is the unique contribution of mega-projects to creativity and innovation?
How do or can mega-projects impact and contribute to creativity and innovation, that ordinary or lower level projects can not?
According to the historical analysis of Schumpeter,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Schumpeter
mega- or big business projects had very strong economic impact
on creativity and innovation, in terms of tech-know-logical systems evolution.
I just like to ask for the borderline of a project to a mega-project ?
Dieter Bögenhold , you are right. it is a bit of a black box, and needs to be properly defined.
any suggestions on a definition? how would you define it?
one definition may be a project that is too great in some factor - like scope, duration, risk, budget etc - for the (average) entrepreneur to work on it by himself. by definition, the average entrepreneur would lack the resources to tackle and complete the project. It can also simply mean any project that is too great in one or more of the factors listed above, that it would require resources in a way or fashion that is contrary or different to typical entrepreneurial startup.
Thus, the definition could also be adapted to imply that it refers to any project too great to be treated and handled in conventional entrepreneurship or venture capital terms, process or system.
Mega-project involve more resources including for innovation,especially financial one, and it is advantage. But the objectives and activities will be more rigorously established. It will be more difficult to change something during the project.
At the same time, lower level projects or start ups are with limited resources ,but will be more flexible in order to change actions and even objectives.
In my opinion, creativity and risk decisions will be more spredead for start ups ( lower levels projects) but disadvantage will be limited resources. As for mega- project it will be more likely to finish it, but results depend basically how well objectives and directions was established at the begining.
WIKEPEDIA summarizes a few defintions
( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megaproject ) including the Oxford Handbook of Megaproject Management and the European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST). Megaprojects include bridges, tunnels, highways, railways, airports, seaports, power plants, dams, wastewater projects, Special Economic Zones, oil and natural gas extraction projects, public buildings, information technology systems, aerospace projects, weapons systems, large-scale sporting events and, more recently, mixed use waterfront redevelopments. What Wikepedia is not mentioning is that megaprojects are very often run by huge consortia of different companies., sometimes also just created for the purpose of the project. Sometimes new virtual megacompanies putting together different other legal units are just created for the purpose of one maga project whereas they will leave each other after finalization of the project.
Dieter Bögenhold , some of these examples you list leaves little to expect in terms of innovation and creativity, whilst others are more promising.
huge consortia as you mention may then also have the potential to significantly push innovation and creativity.
it would be informative to know how such creative and innovative megaprojects, also those initiated by consortia come about and where or how they have their origins.
it also suggests that if done wisely, you can throw money at innovation and creativity.
Brian Barnard, you are absolutely right. At least, modes of innovation and creativity differ from those being found in SMEs. However, establishing new consortia which act very often just during one single project can also be very innovative and creative in terms of getting together the right stakeholders, running effectively related networks and coming up with the logistics. Acts of innovation and creativity are just very different than in small units.
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