Learning between projects: More than sending messages in bottles

•The transfer of knowledge from one project to another project via several channels is impeded by characteristics that seem inherent to the contextual nature of project-based organisations.•An approach of learning between projects should consider the individual, social and organisational context through which projects are formed and which is constantly produced by project activities.•The goal orientation of project-based activities can and should serve as a contextual binder between projects, giving the social interaction within projects focus and orientation for the learning from projects.•If projects are perceived as sender/receiver islands, then lessons learned remain “messages in bottles” – freely afloat on the ocean of knowledge, arriving at new shores by chance.

Although learning from projects has gained much importance in research and practice, progress in understanding and improving inter-project learning appears to be slight. We argue that the adoption of a sender/receiver approach limits the learning effectiveness in project-based organisations. Drawing upon the notion of learning as a social activity embedded in an organisational context, we develop the argument that learning from projects takes place within projects rooted in the historical, organisational and cultural context of previous and current projects. We underpin our argument with results from a multiple-case study on learning in construction organisations. We show that learning cannot be segregated from immediate practice and occurs when individuals engage in project work. Particularly the orientation towards project goals and project-overarching ambitions or trajectories can serve as contextual binder for learning in and between projects.