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

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.

Appel publié par R and D Management. Voir l'appel sur le site de l'éditeur. Fiche de l'appel sur kerostig.

Potential topics

• 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?

Timeline

• January 2, 2026: Conference submission system opens
• February 1, 2026: Deadline for electronic submission of papers to the conference
• March 1, 2026: Notification of authors regarding acceptance to the conference
• April 20, 2026: Special Issue Conference held at Luiss University
• June 15, 2026: Submission deadline for extended abstracts (max 3 pages) for Academy of Management Researching Open Innovation PDW
• September 1, 2026: Time window to submit full paper through the R&D Management Journal Website
• September 15, 2026: Submission deadline