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European industry, academia, and potential end users for future solutions are widely involved in applying for European Union (EU) funding of research and innovation and implementation of the projects. Funding instrument requirements emphasize the influence of skills and knowhow of these project consortia professionals. This chapter proposes a co-creative model for communication and dissemination, or project PR, based on the experiences of both planning and coordinating dissemination activities of three EU funded projects. Multidisciplinary international project PR offers strategic opportunities for PR professionals. The model employs the co-creation methods based on the pedagogical model called Learning by Developing (Laurea, 2011). In addition to the pedagogical model, the proposed conceptualization of co-creation for public relations and dissemination utilizes a media evaluation framework, which is adapted from Vos & Schoemaker's model (2004), combining elements of both balanced scorecard and quality management. The findings demonstrate that commitment and active participation of end user groups in the early stage of the project are needed for successful dissemination, which should be supported by each partner's PR actions and networks. The dissemination process should start when the project begins, be ongoing, even extending to beyond the project. Dissemination is an expanding process, and it requires facilitation that supports PR and the engagement of key stakeholders. The European Commission can gain from modernized PR and dissemination activities, and from as many end users as possible adopting new innovations, which generate more business possibilities for the industry, and further research projects for the academia.These same principles can be applied to projects as well as established organizations. Communication plays a role in a project's economic and social goals by seeking to enhance the reputation of the project in question, positioning of its outcomes and deliverables, and internal consistency. In their strategy map for communication, Vos & Schoemaker (2011) look at communication on four different levels: organizational goals, communication goals, key processes, and learning and growth.On the first level, organizational goals, or in this case common goals for a project network, are added value and social acceptance. On the second level, communication goals, are reputation and being rooted in the social environment; project outcomes are positioned as products or services, and coherence as the organization of the project network. On the third level, key processes include monitoring stakeholder perception, examining communication via news, social media, etc., and facilitation of network exchange. These key processes are identifiable in the dissemination and communication plans for all three projects ABC4EU, IECEU, and GAP. On the fourth level, learning and growth, one can find communication planning and research, and knowledge management and training. The focus of this chapter is on this level.Project...

Co-creation of knowledge offers significant opportunities for innovation. This chapter seeks to gain understanding of the process of co-creation of knowledge for innovation and Public Relations in multi-stakeholder projects by exploring current insights in academic literature. The research questions look at how co-creation of knowledge for innovation has been investigated in the scholarly literature; the roles of end-users; and the modes and challenges of end user participation and in collaboration relating to communication.The method of this chapter is a structured literature review, following a series of rigorous steps: a search of databases, analysis of 33 articles found, summarizing relevant content using a data extraction table and a data extraction continuum as analysis tools to show the range of projects discussed in the literature to create a comprehensive overview.The findings indicate that multi-stakeholder networks can be structured for different aims. In the articles found different types of projects were investigated. Four categories of projects were found: (1) Co-creation projects benefiting one company;(2) Co-creation projects benefiting business-to-business value chain networks; (3) Co-creation projects benefiting public entities; and (4) Co-creation projects benefiting innovation network stakeholders.Complexity is highest for multiple-stakeholder co-creation projects benefiting innovation network stakeholders, where the roles between stakeholders are fluid and changing constantly. Solving common issues motivates the stakeholders to collaborate and build trust. Open innovation environments may facilitate communication and interaction.Co-creation of knowledge requires intensive collaboration. Knowing the main challenges to address this, will help the functioning of co-creation collaboration networks and their Public Relations. Øyvind Ihlen (ed.) PublicRelations and the Power of Creativity (Advances in Public Relations and Communication Management, Volume 3, Emerald Publishing Limited, pp.115 -133 2 representatives can clarify the range of end user opinions and needs (Ruoslahti and Knuuttila, 2011).This chapter looks at relevant literature with a focus on co-creative communication and Public Relations between end users and research project partners. There are many innovation ecosystems, on different levels, the European Union, Member State, and Municipality that stimulate innovation through collaboration. A recent comprehensive literature overview of publications on co-creation research Galvagno and Dalli (2014) identify three streams of co-creation research: Service science; Marketing and consumer research; and Innovation and technology management. This research focuses on the latter of the research streams: innovation and technology management.Co-creation is a collaborative activity involving objectives, arenas, collaborators, tools and processes, and contracts (Bhalla, 2014), and it can include three layers: cocreation of futures; policies; and the involvement of agents (Accordino, 2013). Innovat...