Transforming inter-organisational collaboration dynamics in regional networks through digitalisation

Digitalisation in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly transformed inter-organisational collaboration in regional networks. By analysing a regional network in Finland, this study unveils how the dynamics of inter-organisational collaboration have evolved over time. Based on longitudinal process research conducted during the period 2019–21, we find four major patterns of inter-organisational collaboration dynamics occurring in regional networks, thereby suggesting changes in scale, space and scope of collaborative interactions. Our research highlights how an imbalance between these patterns may culminate in a new collaboration divide alongside pre-existing digital and innovation divides. From this we propose conditions within those patterns that support innovation and regional resilience in times of a crisis and develop suggestions for regional policymakers and practitioners on how to bridge burgeoning divides within regional networks.