The development path of an academic co-working space on campus - Case Energy Garage

Over the past few years, shared spaces for students, entrepreneurs and faculty have become popular on university campuses. This study aims at increasing understanding on how a new co-working space is developed on campus, and what the different stakeholders’ roles are in the development process. The single case study is a recently emerged ‘learning, networking, and innovation platform’ for energy, named the Energy Garage. The Energy Garage is available to all university students, faculty, and businesses with an interest in energy related topics. Using archived material and interviews with key stakeholders, the study analyses the development path of the Energy Garage, placing special focus on the role of students during the different phases. The study finds that, while the initiative for Energy Garage came from faculty, students have successfully been given a major role in the planning and operational management of the space. The findings provide an insight into other similar initiatives, which continue to gain popularity on university campuses.