{"id":25652,"date":"2026-03-03T22:25:32","date_gmt":"2026-03-03T20:25:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/glossary\/open-innovation\/"},"modified":"2026-03-06T15:15:31","modified_gmt":"2026-03-06T13:15:31","slug":"open-innovation","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/open-innovation\/","title":{"rendered":"Open Innovation"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"background:#f0f1f3;padding:1.5rem;margin-bottom:2rem;border-radius:12px;\">\n<strong>In brief:<\/strong> Open Innovation is a strategic approach in which companies open their innovation processes to external knowledge, ideas, and technologies\u2014and, conversely, share their own developments externally. Instead of developing everything in-house, organisations deliberately leverage the innovation potential of customers, partners, startups, and research institutions.\n<\/div>\n<nav style=\"background:#f8f9fa;padding:1.5rem 2rem;border-radius:8px;margin-bottom:2rem;\">\n<strong style=\"font-size:1.1rem;\">Table of Contents<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol style=\"margin:0.75rem 0 0;padding-left:1.25rem;\">\n<li><a href=\"#definition\" style=\"text-decoration:none;color:#1a5276;\">What is Open Innovation? \u2013 Definition and distinction <\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#formen\" style=\"text-decoration:none;color:#1a5276;\">The 3 types of Open Innovation<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#vorteile\" style=\"text-decoration:none;color:#1a5276;\">Benefits of Open Innovation<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#methoden\" style=\"text-decoration:none;color:#1a5276;\">Open Innovation methods and formats<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#umsetzung\" style=\"text-decoration:none;color:#1a5276;\">Implementing Open Innovation: step by step<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#herausforderungen\" style=\"text-decoration:none;color:#1a5276;\">Challenges in Open Innovation<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#kmu\" style=\"text-decoration:none;color:#1a5276;\">Open Innovation for Austrian SMEs<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#faq\" style=\"text-decoration:none;color:#1a5276;\">Frequently asked questions about Open Innovation<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#verwandte-glossar-begriffe\" style=\"text-decoration:none;color:#1a5276;\">Related glossary terms<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/nav>\n<h2 id=\"definition\">What is Open Innovation? \u2013 Definition and distinction <\/h2>\n<p>Open Innovation\u2014often referred to in German as &#8220;offene Innovation&#8221;\u2014describes an innovation paradigm coined in 2003 by Henry Chesbrough. In contrast to closed innovation (Closed Innovation), where all development takes place internally, Open Innovation opens company boundaries for bidirectional knowledge and technology transfer. <\/p>\n<p>The concept is based on a simple insight: Not all smart minds work in your company. No matter how large your R&amp;D department is, there is always more relevant knowledge externally than can exist internally. Open Innovation makes this knowledge systematically accessible and integrates it into the <a href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/innovation-process\/\">innovation process<\/a>.  <\/p>\n<p>In the context of <a href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/innovation-management\/\">innovation management<\/a>, Open Innovation is not a replacement, but an extension of existing structures. It requires an open <a href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/innovation-culture\/\">innovation culture<\/a> and complements internal capabilities with external impulses. <\/p>\n<h2 id=\"formen\">The 3 types of Open Innovation<\/h2>\n<p>Open Innovation can be divided into three basic directions:<\/p>\n<p><strong>1. Outside-In (Inbound Open Innovation):<\/strong> The company integrates external knowledge into its own value creation. Examples: customer idea platforms, collaborations with universities, technology scouting, licensing external patents. This is the most common form and is particularly relevant for <a href=\"\/glossar\/geschaeftsmodell-innovation\/\" style=\"color:#1a5276;text-decoration:none;\">business model innovation<\/a>.  <\/p>\n<p><strong>2. Inside-Out (Outbound Open Innovation):<\/strong> The company makes its own knowledge available to external partners. Examples: licensing its own technologies, open-source contributions, spin-offs. Unused internal developments are monetised instead of gathering dust in a drawer.  <\/p>\n<p><strong>3. Coupled Open Innovation:<\/strong> The combination of both directions through strategic alliances, joint ventures, or innovation ecosystems. Partners contribute resources together and share the results\u2014typical for <a href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/platform-business-model\/\">platform business models<\/a> and the <a href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/platform-economy\/\">platform economy<\/a>. <\/p>\n<h2 id=\"vorteile\">Benefits of Open Innovation<\/h2>\n<p>Companies that use Open Innovation systematically benefit on multiple levels:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Faster time-to-market:<\/strong> By leveraging external groundwork, development cycles are significantly shortened<\/li>\n<li><strong>Lower innovation risk:<\/strong> Ideas are validated with the market earlier\u2014a core principle from <a href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/lean-startup\/\">Lean Startup<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/product-market-fit\/\">product\u2013market fit<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>Access to specialist knowledge:<\/strong> Niche expertise that would take years to build internally<\/li>\n<li><strong>Higher innovation quality:<\/strong> Diversity of perspectives leads to more robust solutions<\/li>\n<li><strong>Cost efficiency:<\/strong> Shared R&amp;D costs and avoidance of duplicate development<\/li>\n<li><strong>Cultural change:<\/strong> Opening up externally fosters a learning-oriented <a href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/innovation-culture\/\">innovation culture<\/a> internally<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 id=\"methoden\">Open Innovation methods and formats<\/h2>\n<p>Depending on objectives and resources, various Open Innovation formats are available:<\/p>\n<table style=\"width:100%;border-collapse:collapse;margin:1rem 0;\">\n<thead>\n<tr style=\"background:#f1f5f9;\">\n<th style=\"padding:0.75rem;text-align:left;border:1px solid #e2e8f0;\">Method<\/th>\n<th style=\"padding:0.75rem;text-align:left;border:1px solid #e2e8f0;\">Description<\/th>\n<th style=\"padding:0.75rem;text-align:left;border:1px solid #e2e8f0;\">Suitable for<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding:0.75rem;border:1px solid #e2e8f0;\">Idea Competitions<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:0.75rem;border:1px solid #e2e8f0;\">Crowdsourcing solutions for defined challenges<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:0.75rem;border:1px solid #e2e8f0;\">New perspectives, broad idea generation<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding:0.75rem;border:1px solid #e2e8f0;\">Corporate Accelerators<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:0.75rem;border:1px solid #e2e8f0;\">Supporting external <a href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/startup\/\">startups<\/a> with strategic fit<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:0.75rem;border:1px solid #e2e8f0;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/disruptive-innovation\/\">Disruptive innovation<\/a>, technology transfer<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding:0.75rem;border:1px solid #e2e8f0;\">Lead User Innovation<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:0.75rem;border:1px solid #e2e8f0;\">Involving innovative customers in development<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:0.75rem;border:1px solid #e2e8f0;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/customer-journey\/\">Customer journey<\/a> optimization<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding:0.75rem;border:1px solid #e2e8f0;\">Research Collaborations<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:0.75rem;border:1px solid #e2e8f0;\">Cooperation with universities and institutes<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:0.75rem;border:1px solid #e2e8f0;\">Fundamental research, technology development<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding:0.75rem;border:1px solid #e2e8f0;\">Innovation Ecosystems<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:0.75rem;border:1px solid #e2e8f0;\">Building a network of partners and suppliers<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding:0.75rem;border:1px solid #e2e8f0;\">Complex <a href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/value-chain\/\">value chains<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2 id=\"umsetzung\">Implementing Open Innovation: step by step<\/h2>\n<p>Successfully introducing Open Innovation requires strategic planning and organisational preparation:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Define innovation fields:<\/strong> In which areas does your company need external impulses? Derive this from your <a href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/innovation-strategy\/\">innovation strategy<\/a> <\/li>\n<li><strong>Map the partner landscape:<\/strong> Identify relevant partners\u2014<a href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/startup\/\">startups<\/a>, research institutions, customers, suppliers, competitors<\/li>\n<li><strong>Set up governance:<\/strong> Establish clear rules for IP rights, confidentiality, and the distribution of results<\/li>\n<li><strong>Start pilot projects:<\/strong> Begin with a manageable Open Innovation format\u2014e.g., an idea competition or a <a href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/design-thinking\/\">Design Thinking<\/a> session with customers<\/li>\n<li><strong>Integrate processes:<\/strong> Embed successful formats in your <a href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/innovation-process\/\">innovation process<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/idea-management\/\">idea management<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>Measure results:<\/strong> Define KPIs such as the number of external collaborations, the share of external ideas in the pipeline, and time-to-market improvement<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2 id=\"herausforderungen\">Challenges in Open Innovation<\/h2>\n<p>Despite the benefits, Open Innovation entails specific risks that must be managed:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>IP protection:<\/strong> Balancing openness and protecting intellectual property is often the biggest challenge. Clear contractual arrangements are essential <\/li>\n<li><strong>Not-invented-here syndrome:<\/strong> Internal teams reject external ideas. Countermeasure: cultural work and incentive systems that value external contributions <\/li>\n<li><strong>Coordination effort:<\/strong> Managing external partners requires dedicated management capabilities and resources<\/li>\n<li><strong>Quality assurance:<\/strong> External contributions must be carefully evaluated and integrated into existing standards<\/li>\n<li><strong>Cultural differences:<\/strong> Partners from different industries or countries bring different ways of working\u2014effective <a href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/change-management\/\">change management<\/a> is required<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 id=\"kmu\">Open Innovation for Austrian SMEs<\/h2>\n<p>Open Innovation is not a privilege of large corporations. Austrian SMEs in particular can benefit from open innovation approaches: <\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Clusters and networks:<\/strong> Austria\u2019s innovation clusters (e.g., in mechatronics, green tech, life sciences) offer ideal platforms for cross-industry collaboration<\/li>\n<li><strong>FFG funding:<\/strong> The Austrian Research Promotion Agency supports collaborative R&amp;D projects with attractive <a href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/innovation-funding\/\">funding<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>UAS and university collaborations:<\/strong> Practice-oriented research projects with students provide fresh perspectives at manageable costs<\/li>\n<li><strong>Startup collaborations:<\/strong> Partnerships with <a href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/startup\/\">startups<\/a> bring agility and access to technology\u2014without having to build your own <a href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/venture-building\/\">venture building<\/a> capabilities<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The key for SMEs lies in selective opening: Not all innovation fields need to be handled openly. Focus on areas where external knowledge offers the greatest leverage\u2014such as <a href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/digital-transformation\/\">digital transformation<\/a> or the development of <a href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/digital-business-models\/\">digital business models<\/a>. <\/p>\n<div style=\"background:linear-gradient(135deg,#1e3a5f,#2563eb);color:#fff;padding:2rem;border-radius:12px;margin:2rem 0;text-align:center;\">\n<h3 style=\"color:#fff;margin-top:0;\">Using Open Innovation strategically<\/h3>\n<p style=\"font-size:1.1rem;\">Would you like to open up your innovation processes and systematically leverage external knowledge? We support you from strategy through implementation\u2014with the right Open Innovation format for your company. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/business-model-innovation-services\/\" style=\"display:inline-block;background:#fff;color:#1e3a5f;padding:0.75rem 2rem;border-radius:8px;text-decoration:none;font-weight:600;margin-top:0.5rem;\">Schedule an initial consultation \u2192<\/a>\n<\/div>\n<div itemscope=\"\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/FAQPage\">\n<h2 id=\"faq\">Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)<\/h2>\n<details itemscope=\"\" itemprop=\"mainEntity\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Question\" style=\"background:#eaecee;border-radius:8px;margin-bottom:0.75rem;overflow:hidden;\">\n<summary itemprop=\"name\" style=\"padding:1rem 1.2rem;font-weight:600;cursor:pointer;color:#2c3e50;\">What is the difference between Open Innovation and crowdsourcing?<\/summary>\n<div itemscope=\"\" itemprop=\"acceptedAnswer\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Answer\" style=\"padding:0 1.2rem 1rem;color:#2c3e50;\">\n<div itemprop=\"text\" style=\"margin-top:0.75rem;\">\n<p>Crowdsourcing is a method within Open Innovation. While Open Innovation describes the overall strategic approach of opening innovation processes, crowdsourcing specifically refers to gathering ideas, solutions, or feedback from a large group of external participants\u2014typically via digital platforms. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<details itemscope=\"\" itemprop=\"mainEntity\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Question\" style=\"background:#eaecee;border-radius:8px;margin-bottom:0.75rem;overflow:hidden;\">\n<summary itemprop=\"name\" style=\"padding:1rem 1.2rem;font-weight:600;cursor:pointer;color:#2c3e50;\">How do I protect intellectual property in Open Innovation?<\/summary>\n<div itemscope=\"\" itemprop=\"acceptedAnswer\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Answer\" style=\"padding:0 1.2rem 1rem;color:#2c3e50;\">\n<div itemprop=\"text\" style=\"margin-top:0.75rem;\">\n<p>IP protection in Open Innovation requires a multi-step strategy: First, clear NDAs and collaboration agreements before any exchange. Second, define IP allocation (background IP vs. jointly developed IP) in advance. Third, selective openness\u2014share only the knowledge necessary for collaboration. Fourth, regular IP audits to document your own state of knowledge.   <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<details itemscope=\"\" itemprop=\"mainEntity\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Question\" style=\"background:#eaecee;border-radius:8px;margin-bottom:0.75rem;overflow:hidden;\">\n<summary itemprop=\"name\" style=\"padding:1rem 1.2rem;font-weight:600;cursor:pointer;color:#2c3e50;\">Is Open Innovation suitable for every company?<\/summary>\n<div itemscope=\"\" itemprop=\"acceptedAnswer\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Answer\" style=\"padding:0 1.2rem 1rem;color:#2c3e50;\">\n<div itemprop=\"text\" style=\"margin-top:0.75rem;\">\n<p>In principle, yes\u2014but the degree of openness should fit the company\u2019s situation. Prerequisites include an open innovation culture, a willingness to share knowledge, and basic governance structures. Highly sensitive areas (e.g., defence-relevant technologies) require special caution. For most SMEs, a selective Open Innovation approach\u2014such as in product development or digitalisation\u2014is a good starting point.   <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<details itemscope=\"\" itemprop=\"mainEntity\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Question\" style=\"background:#eaecee;border-radius:8px;margin-bottom:0.75rem;overflow:hidden;\">\n<summary itemprop=\"name\" style=\"padding:1rem 1.2rem;font-weight:600;cursor:pointer;color:#2c3e50;\">What role does digitalisation play in Open Innovation?<\/summary>\n<div itemscope=\"\" itemprop=\"acceptedAnswer\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Answer\" style=\"padding:0 1.2rem 1rem;color:#2c3e50;\">\n<div itemprop=\"text\" style=\"margin-top:0.75rem;\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/digitization\/\">Digitalisation<\/a> is a key enabler of Open Innovation. Digital platforms enable global idea competitions, collaborative development tools foster virtual collaboration, and data analytics helps identify the most promising external contributions. At the same time, digitalisation opens up new Open Innovation fields\u2014for example, <a href=\"\/glossar\/ki-strategie-unternehmen\/\" style=\"color:#1a5276;text-decoration:none;\">AI strategies<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/data-driven-business-models\/\">data-driven business models<\/a>.  <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<details style=\"background:#eaecee;border-radius:8px;padding:0;margin-bottom:0.75rem;\">\n<summary style=\"padding:1rem 1.2rem;font-weight:600;cursor:pointer;color:#2c3e50;list-style:none;\">What are successful examples of Open Innovation in SMEs?<\/summary>\n<div style=\"padding:0 1.2rem 1rem 1.2rem;\">LEGO Ideas is a classic example where customers submit and vote on new product designs, with successful ones becoming official sets. Local Motors crowdsourced vehicle designs and used micro-factories for production. Many SMEs successfully run innovation challenges with universities, offer API platforms for developers to build on, or create supplier innovation programs. The key is starting small \u2013 one successful external collaboration provides templates and proof points for expanding open innovation approaches.<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Related Terms<\/h2>\n<div style=\"display:flex;flex-wrap:wrap;gap:0.5rem;margin-top:0.5rem;\">\n<a style=\"display:inline-block;background:white;border:1px solid #d5d8dc;border-radius:20px;padding:0.4rem 1rem;margin:0.3rem;color:#1a5276;text-decoration:none;font-size:0.95em;\" href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/innovation-management\/\">Innovation Management<\/a><br \/>\n<a style=\"display:inline-block;background:white;border:1px solid #d5d8dc;border-radius:20px;padding:0.4rem 1rem;margin:0.3rem;color:#1a5276;text-decoration:none;font-size:0.95em;\" href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/design-thinking\/\">Design Thinking<\/a><br \/>\n<a style=\"display:inline-block;background:white;border:1px solid #d5d8dc;border-radius:20px;padding:0.4rem 1rem;margin:0.3rem;color:#1a5276;text-decoration:none;font-size:0.95em;\" href=\"\/en\/glossary\/business-model-innovation\/\">Business Model Innovation<\/a><br \/>\n<a style=\"display:inline-block;background:white;border:1px solid #d5d8dc;border-radius:20px;padding:0.4rem 1rem;margin:0.3rem;color:#1a5276;text-decoration:none;font-size:0.95em;\" href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/digital-transformation\/\">Digital Transformation<\/a><br \/>\n<a style=\"display:inline-block;background:white;border:1px solid #d5d8dc;border-radius:20px;padding:0.4rem 1rem;margin:0.3rem;color:#1a5276;text-decoration:none;font-size:0.95em;\" href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/lean-startup\/\">Lean Startup<\/a><br \/>\n<a style=\"display:inline-block;background:white;border:1px solid #d5d8dc;border-radius:20px;padding:0.4rem 1rem;margin:0.3rem;color:#1a5276;text-decoration:none;font-size:0.95em;\" href=\"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/glossary\/change-management\/\">Change Management<\/a>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In brief: Open Innovation is a strategic approach in which companies open their innovation processes to external knowledge, ideas, and technologies\u2014and, conversely, share their own developments externally. Instead of developing&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":24529,"parent":25140,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-25652","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Point-of-New-Business-Model-Innovation-Benedikt-Hasibeder-scaled.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/25652","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25652"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/25652\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28057,"href":"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/25652\/revisions\/28057"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/25140"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/24529"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pointofnew.at\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25652"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}