The syndicated Communities of Practice (CoPs) are groups of people who share a concern or a passion for one of the activities within the innovation value chain. They learn how to do it better as they interact regularly with other members of their community.

A community of practice is not merely a club of friends or a network of connections between people. It has an identity defined by this shared domain of interest. Membership therefore implies a commitment to the domain, and therefore a shared competence that distinguishes members from other people.

In pursuing their interest in their domain, members engage in joint activities and discussions, help each other, and share information. They build relationships that enable them to learn from each other. This website in itself is not a community of practice. Having the same job or the same title does not make for a community of practice unless members interact and learn together.

A community of practice is not merely a community of interest--people who like certain kinds of movies, for instance. Members of a community of practice are practitioners. They develop a shared repertoire of resources: experiences, stories, tools, ways of addressing recurring problems—in short a shared practice. This takes time and sustained interaction.