Open Innovation Between Higher Education and Industry

Abstract

A largely recognised fact is that knowledge creates the base for innovations in technology development. This means that enterprises need to adopt the newest technology knowledge in order to develop and create new innovations. This research is based on the assumption that technology knowledge transfer should be executed according to a plan based on need recognition in order to enable open innovation processes between higher education institutions and industry. In this paper, the two types of open innovation processes are modelled. The models are described and evaluated with case examples. The models are based on the research and innovation projects carried out with university and enterprise partners during the last seven years. The projects have varied from technology evaluating projects executed mainly by the students to targeted open innovation projects conducted by the researchers. In the paper, e.g. the processes and models are illustrated with case examples. The paper models technology transfer processes that have been created combined with targeted innovation processes and have been executed in practice. Comparisons between cases will be done, best practices will be pointed and filtering of explicit knowledge based on our tacit knowledge will be explained. Writers assume that partnerships based on trust will be one significant method to identify drivers towards targeted open innovation. As the main outcome of this research, two models of open innovation processes between a university and industry are modelled and evaluated. In the paper also, this modelling with the help of technology knowledge transfer process is presented. The open innovation process modelled and called innovation targeting participatory research process can be used by universities and enterprises which aim for open innovation process where university has an important role as a knowledge and technology source for the enterprise. The model emphasises committed participation and continuous dialogue.