{
  "abstract": "Co-creation among cross-sectoral actors offers a promising pathway for fostering collaborative learning and innovation in response to complex societal challenges. While prior research highlights the role of metagovernance in shaping co-creation, it has often focused on the utilization of discrete governance tools rather than on how these tools function together. This article argues that a key task for metagovernors is to ‘scaffold’ co-creation through the strategic configuration of complementary and interlocking governance factors that support three core dimensions: (a) reciprocal knowledge exchange and perspective transformation (input); (b) adaptive responsiveness to emerging needs and feedback (process); and (c) collective ownership and commitment to both the collaborative process and its outcomes (output). Based on a within- and cross-case analysis of four successful co-created sustainability solutions from Denmark, the United States, Malaysia, and Serbia, we draw the key distinction between two types of scaffolding: necessary scaffolding providing the baseline support structures for co-creation, and contingent scaffolding in the form of situational mechanisms activated in response to contextual challenges. By conceptualizing scaffolding as a flexible, context-sensitive configuration of governance factors, our findings demonstrate that successful co-creation emerges not from individual governance tools alone, but from their strategic alignment and interaction.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Department of Social Sciences and Business, Roskilde University, Denmark",
    "Department of Landscape Architecture, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Malaysia",
    "Faculty of Social Studies, Masaryk University, Czech Republic",
    "Cluster of Public Policy, Project Management and Governance, National Institute of Public Administration, Malaysia"
  ],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 5,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Alexander L. Q. Chen-Florea",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-9132-8364"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Eva Sørensen",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-4845-9665"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Mohd Sallehuddin Mat Noor",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-8386-4012"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Rastislav Vrbensky"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3
      ],
      "name": "Yoon Ai Chin",
      "orcid": "0009-0008-2615-1970"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/2xs1h655qk0n6.bib",
  "cited_by": 5,
  "doi": "10.1016/j.eist.2026.101148",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "2xs1h655qk0n6",
  "issns": [
    "2210-4224",
    "2210-4232"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eist.2026.101148",
  "language": "en",
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "journal",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "2306|Sustainability and Climate Change Governance"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7162096130",
  "pdf_url": null,
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-05-23",
  "publisher": "Elsevier BV",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/2xs1h655qk0n6.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-11-08T13:20:55Z",
      "native_id": "W7162096130",
      "source": "openalex",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eist.2026.101148"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "earth",
      "origin": "openalex:2306|Sustainability and Climate Change Governance",
      "subfield": "climate"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Metagovernance as scaffolding: strategies promoting co-created learning and innovation for sustainability transitions",
  "title_text": "Metagovernance as scaffolding: strategies promoting co-created learning and innovation for sustainability transitions",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-09T13:21:21Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/2xs1h655qk0n6",
  "venue": "Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions",
  "versions": []
}