Open social innovation in living labs

Silvio Bitencourt Da Silva,Claudia Cristina Bitencourt

doi:10.12712/rpca.v13i3.32914

Silvio Bitencourt Da Silva, Claudia Cristina Bitencourt

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.12712/rpca.v13i3.32914

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Abstract

In this paper, a qualitative case study, we investigated in two Brazilian living labs how open social innovation can explain the development of social innovations. The findings broaden the understanding of open social innovation and explain the process of developing social innovation through the adoption of three open innovation strategies: outside-in or inbound, inside-out or outbound, and coupled that involves bidirectional flows and interactive and colaborative flows, similar to co-creation. We identified three dimensions for co-creating social innovations in living labs: governance of the collaboration process, interaction platform and other tools and openness of attitudes, structure and processes.

Highlights

Research on the role of innovation in technological and social change has grown in recent years in the social sciences and in multidisciplinary studies (Fagerberg, 2005)
We explore the theoretical and empirical evidence that illustrates how the development of social innovations occurs through open innovation strategies in what can be defined as open social innovation according to the concept coined by Chesbrough and Di Minin (2014)
In order to answer the research question, we structured this article as follows: first, we present theories about social innovation, open innovation strategies and, in particular, about the concept of open social innovation associated to the understanding of living labs as a particular type of innovation network

Summary

Introduction

Research on the role of innovation in technological and social change has grown in recent years in the social sciences and in multidisciplinary studies (Fagerberg, 2005). In the social field there is associated mobilization of forces to spawn new ways of engaging and collectively creating value (Ramaswamy & Ozcan 2014b) This perception is in line with Battisti (2012) on the need to adopt a new model for the analysis of social innovation, to deal with the user needs and the necessary collaboration between relevant social groups as active participants in the co-solution of complex problems and social rights. According to the framework proposed by Chesbrough & Di Minin (2014), it is necessary to investigate how the living labs develop social innovations through inbound (out-in) and outbound (inside-out) open innovation strategies and, the coupled open innovation strategy that involves bidirectional and interactive flows, being these able to lead the co-creation of value. We will present the methodology adopted for the research, as well as the procedures for collecting and analyzing the empirical evidence

Methodological Procedures

Findings

Presentation and Discussion of Findings

Conclusions and Final Remarks