The “sharing economy community” on the role of local government in promoting, steering and governing the sharing economy. An exploratory study

The phenomenon of the sharing economy is gaining momentum and has become a focus of analysis, debate, and study for the scientific community as well as for a range of other actors. Thus, an identifiable broader community of knowledge-based experts and practitioners is generating a ‘meta-discourse’ on the sharing economy. This is the point of departure for the current paper, which examines the phenomenon in depth, particularly focusing on the role that local governments can play in promoting, steering and governing this disruptive social innovation. Drawing on the input of a panel of ten experts from academia, the consultancy sector, policy-making, and business, the sharing economy is analysed and reassessed. The community’s reflections on its own nature and characteristics are also reported.