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Increasingly firms are moving away from the 'closed innovation paradigm' in which most R&D is carried out in-house, in isolation and secrecy, to a more open way of working in which firms actively collaborate with other companies and institutions. Although this 'open innovation' is receiving more attention in academic research, the existing literature is largely qualitative and focused on the practices of high-technology multi-national firms and generally ignores the work being carried out in this area by SMEs. Using a combination of theory and cutting edge empirical (quantitative) investigation, Pooran Wynarczyk strives to address this major gap in current literature.
List of contents
Part I: Setting the Scene 1. Background and the Scope of the Book
Part II: International Literature Review 2. Open Innovation Paradigm 3. A Perspective on the International Triple Helix Model
Part III: Empirical Investigation 4. A Methodological Framework for Empirical Investigation 5. Dynamics of Open Innovation in SMEs: Opportunities and Challenges 6. High Growth SMEs and Open Innovation 7. Managing Open Innovation in SMEs 8. Financing of Open Innovation in SMEs 9. Opinion Pieces and Interviews 10. A Multi-Dimensional Model of Open Innovation in SMEs: A Cluster Approach
Part IV: Conclusions 11. Summary and Concluding Remarks 12. Policy and Practical Implications
About the author
Pooran Wynarczyk is Director of the Small Enterprise Research Unit (SERU) at Newcastle University Business School, UK and elected Fellow of the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce
Summary
It is widely acknowledged that technological advances and scientific innovation are the most important sources of productivity growth and competiveness, as well as social and economic wellbeing. Increasingly, research and policy attention has come to focus on the small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) sector as a key source of new product development, innovation and suppliers of new technologies. However, despite being recognised as vital parts of a dynamic process of the knowledge-based economy, there is relatively little known about the contemporary factors that contribute to the innovativeness, internationalization, economic performance and growth of SMEs.
Increasingly firms are moving away from the ‘closed innovation paradigm’ in which most R&D is carried out in-house, in isolation and secrecy, to a more open way of working in which firms actively collaborate with other companies and institutions. It has been claimed that this new form of collaboration provides access to technologies and facilities that would otherwise take years and major investment to acquire in-house. This ‘open innovation’ is of great benefit to any company, but is incredibly useful for SMEs in particular.
Although open innovation is receiving more attention in academic research, the existing literature is largely qualitative and focused on the practices of high-technology multi-national firms and generally ignores the work being carried out in this area by SMEs. Using a combination of theory and cutting edge empirical (quantitative) investigation, Pooran Wynarczyk strives to address this major gap in current literature.
