When it comes to solving big problems like climate change or creating cutting-edge innovations, collaboration among many organizations is crucial. However, these large-scale collaborations often fail because the different goals and interests of the organizations involved lead to inaction and conflict. 

One way to overcome these challenges is through a “boundary infrastructure”. This is a system of tools (like technical interfaces) and rules (like a governance model) that help organizations work together. But creating such a system is tough because of the varying interests of the organizations involved. 

Our recent study, published in the Journal of Management Studies, explores this question: 

How do organizations build a boundary infrastructure that supports large-scale collaboration? 

We addressed this question by looking at a project called Helix Nebula, which was a collaboration between Big Science and Big Business organizations in Europe. The goal was to create a cloud computing infrastructure that allowed researchers at Europe’s three largest science organizations (CERN, EMBL, and ESA) to leverage commercial cloud resources offered by big tech companies such as Atos and T-Systems. This collaboration began in 2011 and ended in 2018, growing from 20 to 80 organizations—a sign of its success. 

Through interviews, observations, and analyzing troves of archival data such as meeting minutes and emails, we found that inaction and conflict were common. But these issues were managed through two key strategies: scaffolding and reconfiguring coalitions. 

1. Scaffolding: Think of scaffolding as building a boundary infrastructure piece by piece. If one part encounters problems, you start working on another part that helps fix the first issue. 

2. Reconfiguring Coalitions: This means forming smaller, temporary groups with shared interests to tackle specific problems. Once these groups find common ground, they merge back into the larger collaboration. 

By alternating between these strategies, organizations can gradually build a strong boundary infrastructure. Initially, they develop small, coherent parts. Over time, these parts come together to form a comprehensive system. The illustration above (made for us by Katja Teniaeva based on our article) illustrates this process. 

Helix Nebula’s success in developing a boundary infrastructure is unique. One reason is that the participating organizations funded most of the development themselves, ensuring that only those truly committed stayed involved. In 2019, the Helix Nebula infrastructure was integrated into the larger European Open Science Cloud, supported by €600 million from the European Commission. 

Key Takeaways: 

• Building a boundary infrastructure is a step-by-step process. Organizations benefit from scaffolding because it allows them to develop components gradually. 

• Forming smaller groups to tackle specific issues may look like a collaboration breakdown, but it actually helps organizations use their differences effectively. They can merge back together once they find common needs. 

• Alternating between scaffolding and reconfiguring coalitions enables the development of an effective boundary infrastructure to facilitate successful large-scale collaboration. Patience is key, as benefits may take time to materialize.