OpenInnovation

From crowdsociety
Jump to navigationJump to search

The term Open Innovation is based on the principle of Crowdsourcing. Thereby the process of innovation within organisations is open and the knowledge and skills of the crowd are used to optimize the innovation potential. The open-innovation-concept describes the functional use of the in- and out-going knowledge to improve innovation. The difference to, for example Crowdfunding is that it's not the aim of Open Innovation to collect money.


Motivation

In the running process of globalization grows the pressure on developers. The increasing opening of the procedure in competitions to everyone enables a growing number of solutions for products. Furthermore the life time cycle of innovation shortens more and more, so it becomes necessary that the wishes and the knowledge of the users become part of the developing process. The goal of Open Innovation should be to produce specific, target-oriented and useful products for the user.


Processes

The traditional way to create new products and innovations within companies is Closed innovation. That means that only employees and members of a firm take part in the development. With the development of the internet new ways of teamwork with different types of processes appeared.


Closed Innovation -> Open Innovation [1]












Outside-In-Process

The Ouside-In-Process describes the integegration of external knowledge to an innovation-process. With that instrument, the risk of a flopping innovation and the coherent economical dangers shall be minimized. This kind of process makes clear, that the place where Know-How is created must not be the same like where innovations are generated.

Inside-Out-Process

The Inside-Out-Process means the externalization of internal knowledge. It is used by companies to generate license fees for any patent or innovation. This kind of process makes clear, that the place where Know-How or the innovation is created must not be the same like where innovations are used.


There is also a possible combination of these two processes, which is called the Coupled-Process.

Application Areas

Nowadays this type of innovation process is practiced in many areas of social and creative actions. Companies in design- and technical branches and even many polticians use the great knowledge of the crowd and involve the people in the innovation process.


Crowdfunding and crowdsourcing fashion [2]
Starbucks advertising campaign [3]
BMW Co-Creation Lab [4]

Design

In the design branch OpenInnovation is used for the exchange of knowledge and information and accelerates the global trend-setting. The main sectors for OpenInnovation are:

Food & Drinks

Some fast-food firms offer their customers to create their own recipes and food or even some other stuff like cups and packaging. In that way, the restaurants get the wishes and creative input from the customers. Current campaigns are organized by:

  • Mc Donald's
  • Starbucks Coffee

Politics & Administration

Democracy is based on the principle of collecting the opinion of the citizens. Politicians and parties often organize for example:

  • citizensourcing
  • workshops

Technology

In technology and research advance and improvement becomes always faster, due to involving the wishes of the crowd and the knowledge of a worldwide network of scientists. The following firms use the input of the customers for improve innovation.

  • Peugeot | Audi | BMW
  • Bombardier
  • research


References

Literature

  • Chesbrough H. W., Open Innovation: The New Imperative for Creating and Profiting from Technology, Harvard Business Review Press, 2003, ISBN 978-1578518371