Published in the Routledge Handbook of Planning and Strategic Management of Projects, Drs Papadonikolaki and Morgan have authored a chapter discussing how large projects in the UK have driven a series of digital innovations. The chapter charts a series of series of mega projects in the UK, starting from the Channel Tunnel to Heathrow Terminal 5, the London Olympics, Crossrail, Thames Tideway and High Speed 2.
Taking a retrospective and longitudinal view of digital evolution in the industry, the chapter identifies the link between megaprojects, industry standards and institutional developments and their influence on digital innovations. Four distinct pathways are identified in the industry including Substitution, Transformation, Reconfiguration and our current phase of Re-alignment. During re-alignment, disruption owing to new digital technologies is pervasive, incumbent firms often fail and new entrants to the market are seen.
Digital innovations are produced and shaped by the interplay of institutional and organisational factors. The chapter discusses the role of actors who moved across infrastructure megaprojects and institutions and influenced digital innovation in socio-technical niches. The chapter contributes to our understanding of the importance of infrastructure megaprojects as potential niches of digital innovation.
Chapter excerpt
This chapter is a development of a 2018 conference paper we wrote and presented at the European Group for Organizational Studies (EGOS).
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