Ngos' Contributions to Innovation: Innovation Enablers or Lead Innovators?

This study explores how non-governmental organisations (NGOs) engage with innovation processes. Drawing on a comparative case study of two NGOs working in water sustainability, the paper analyses NGO involvement across seven stages of the innovation process. The findings reveal two distinct approaches to NGO involvement in innovation: innovation enablers, typically traditional NGOs that support innovation through collaboration and institutionalisation, and lead innovators, generally newer, more technically specialised NGOs capable of independently initiating and developing product-based solutions. This typology challenges prevailing assumptions that NGOs primarily play supportive roles, offering a new lens for understanding NGOs' contributions to innovation. The study advances the literature in innovation management, sustainable innovation, and political science, highlighting the need to reassess the capacities and roles of NGOs, particularly in light of growing environmental urgency and evolving expectations from global actors.