What is co-creation and how does it create public value?

ABSTRACT Knowledge‐based policy influence organizations such as think tanks or policy hubs seek to develop public value through the kinds of knowledge utilization activities in which they are engaged. But what exactly do they do, how do they do it and how does this result in public value? While historically public managers have long been assumed to be the principal purveyors of public value, now many policy actors in their various activities claim to seek to enhance public value and can do so in a number of distinct ways requiring a reassessment of the kinds of activities and efforts they are engaged in. This paper looks at key differences between long-established organizations like think tanks and newcomers like policy labs to see how they differ in focus upon co-creation, co-design, and co-production in their search for public value.