MindLab (Denmark) is a cross-ministerial innovation unit which involves citizens and businesses in developing new solutions for the public sector.

MindLab operates across ministries, having been established as a cooperation between the Ministry of Employment, the Ministry of Taxation and the Ministry of Economic and Business Affairs. In other words, it covers areas that together affect the daily lives of nearly all of Denmark’s citizens. For an overview, click here or check out www.mind-lab.dk/en.

For an idea of the range of projects MindLab works on, check out its case examples on climate change, migrant workers, cutting red tape for Danish businesses, and getting young migrants into employment.

MindLab’s director, Christian Bason, is a leading thinker on strategy and innovation within the public sector, and is the author of a number of books including Designing Welfare (Policy Press, forthcoming 2010), Put the Citizen Into Play – How to Involve Citizens & Businesses in Public Sector Innovation (Gyldenhal Business, 2009) and Innovating Welfare – Leading Fresh Thinking in the Public Sector (Borsens Fortag, 2007). An English summary of Innovating Welfare is here.

A 5 minute overview video of MindLab’s work taken by a Basque TV station is here - www.gizarteberrikuntza.com/elementos/bideoak/3.html