What is the role of open innovation in terms of regional cooperation? We highly recommend reading the article below published by Interreg Europe on the policy learning platform.
Open innovation – necessary approach in companies and regions
Innovation is a critical factor behind economic development and competitiveness. At the same time, its nature is evolving. Instead of happening inside the boundaries of single companies, innovations increasingly emerge as a result of cooperation among multiple and diverse actors.
The Open Innovation model from Henry Chesbrough (2003), which describes the opening up of the innovation process of organisations and the active strategic use of the outside world to increase the innovation potential, is increasingly considered as a necessity for companies to be successful on the long-term. It provides a valid answer to the increasing pressure on companies performing R&D resulting from more and more complex technologies and fast-paced market developments.
But open innovation has also turned into a model for policy makers to sustain regional innovation performance. Regions have nowadays been recognised as playing a central role in the economy. They are gradually becoming basic units of the local ecosystem e.g. by offering a favourable platform for cooperation between companies leading to the creation of a regional open innovation system. (Torkkeli & Ahonen, 2007)
Lazio Region in Italy – holistically on the way to Open Innovation
This is where the Interreg Europe project SCALE UP – concentration and robustness of SMEs within the renewed EU industrial policy – comes in. The Lazio Region, partner in the project, has been extensively promoting an Open Innovation strategy. LAZIO INNOVA – the regional development agency – is in charge of enhancing the economic growth at regional level. Through a set of integrated services, tailored tools and financial opportunities LAZIO INNOVA aims at the entrepreneurial promotion as well as business creation in order to boost the regional ecosystem growth (companies, startups, local institutions, research organizations, universities, business associations as well as citizens).
In 2015 LAZIO INNOVA – taking the role of a facilitator – launched the first Open Innovation Challenge with the aim of supporting the whole entrepreneurial ecosystem – from large corporates to startups and talents – by offering the entire range of services required to facilitate the innovation process for large corporates and the scale-up for startups.
With the Open Innovation Challenge, LAZIO INNOVA offers medium sized to large corporates companies the opportunity to launch a ‘challenge’ to search for innovative product/ process/ service solutions that are most in line with their needs. Launching a challenge allows the company to take advantage of the innovative potential of startups and businesses to drive and implement their business innovation processes. In return, they offer expertise, budget and a market for startups.
The approach or how this works is presented in the following picture:
Source: Lazio Innova
Read the full article here.
This publication has been prepared within INDIGISE project. The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of the project coordinator and may not always reflect the views of the European Commission or the National Agency.
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