Open Innovation in Action: People, Processes and Performance of R&D Management

Éditeurs invités

• Alberto Di Minin, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna
• Federico Frattini, Politecnico di Milano
• Agnieszka Radziwon, University of Southern Denmark
• Krithika Randhawa, The University of Sydney
• Joel West, Keck Graduate Institute

Synthèse

This special issue celebrates Henry Chesbrough's foundational work on open innovation and explores how organizations are putting these principles into practice within their R&D functions. The editors seek research examining how firms implement and manage open innovation through three interconnected dimensions: the strategic processes and structural changes required, the people and capabilities needed to succeed, and the performance measurement approaches for evaluating OI initiatives.

The journal seeks contributions that address real-world challenges R&D and innovation managers face when transitioning from closed to open processes, including technology strategy, partnership governance, organizational design, and digital transformation. Particularly valued are insights from practitioners and academic-practitioner collaborations that bridge theory and practice, along with research highlighting how open innovation applies across different organizational sizes, industries, and contexts including energy transition and geopolitical shifts.

Thèmes proposés

• How do companies build innovation strategies that leverage on OI?
• How are budgets for OI projects established and allocated?
• How do businesses roadmap the development of key technologies by making use of Open Innovation?
• How are new strategies for OI (such as venture clienting and venture building) evaluated and implemented?
• What factors influence the successful implementation of new strategies for OI (such as venture clienting and venture building)?
• What specific search strategies and scouting processes are most effective for identifying valuable external knowledge/technology for R&D?
• How are R&D processes (e.g., stage-gate, agile) adapted to effectively integrate external inputs and manage outbound knowledge flows?
• What digital tools and platforms are used to manage OI processes in R&D, and what is their impact?
• How do firms manage the transition from closed to open R&D processes?
• What are the best practices for managing intellectual property (IP) in collaborative R&D projects under an OI paradigm?
• How do firms effectively evaluate and select external partners for R&D collaboration?
• How does firm size (SME vs. large enterprise) influence organizational design choices for managing OI in R&D?
• How do firms overcome internal resistance (e.g., 'Not-Invented-Here' syndrome) when implementing OI in R&D?
• What is the role of middle managers in facilitating or hindering OI adoption within R&D departments?
• What specific skills, capabilities, and mindsets are required for R&D personnel (researchers, managers) operating in an OI environment?
• How can organizations cultivate an 'open' culture within R&D, that encourages both internal sharing and external engagement?
• Which leadership styles are most effective in managing OI initiatives within R&D teams?
• How are performance management and incentive systems adapted to motivate R&D employees' participation in OI activities?
• What is the role of individual absorptive capacity and boundary-spanning activities of R&D personnel in OI success?
• Which capabilities companies need to develop to successfully work with different types of service providers?
• How can AI enable and support OI projects in R&D and innovation functions?
• What ethical considerations arise in the operational management of OI within R&D (e.g., knowledge appropriation, fairness to external contributors)?
• What metrics do R&D departments use to track the inputs, throughputs, and outputs of their OI activities?
• How can the contribution of OI to R&D project success and overall R&D performance be effectively measured and demonstrated?
• What are the key challenges in measuring the ROI of specific OI tactics within R&D?
• What are the good practices for selecting the right service provider, based on different R&D and innovation needs?