Co-creation in research refers to a participatory approach in which researchers collaborate closely with external stakeholders to generate knowledge, develop solutions, and drive innovation together. In contrast to traditional research, where scientists often are the main actors making decisions about the research process and outcomes, co-creation involves active involvement of various stakeholders such as businesses, NGOs, government agencies, citizens, or other relevant partners.
The co-creation approach aims to incorporate the expertise and perspectives of all stakeholders to achieve a more comprehensive understanding of the topic under investigation and to generate diverse solutions. By collaborating with external actors, researchers bring together both theoretical knowledge and practical experiences and needs to develop innovative and application-oriented solutions. Co-creation can take various forms.
Co-creation in research enables the addressing of societal challenges and complex problems from various perspectives, contributing to improving the relevance, effectiveness, and implementability of research outcomes.