The potential of open innovation platforms: driving sustainable development goals through digital collaboration

Abstract

ABSTRACT Open innovation is a pivotal driver of organisational growth. This concept involves engaging external partners and leveraging diverse knowledge sources, leading to significant advancements in sustainability. With the rise of digital platforms, the potential for open innovation to foster sustainable development has increased. However, the literature on the intersection of digitalisation, open innovation, and sustainability remains sparse and fragmented. This study aims to bridge this research gap by exploring how digital platforms facilitate open innovation practices and their impact on sustainability, particularly in alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. By creating a comprehensive database from scientific literature published between 2019 and June 2024, this research compiles a wide range of applications, case studies, and proposed implementations of open innovation platforms. Exploratory analysis maps the landscape of these practices, focusing on their sectoral applications, technologies involved, and business impacts. Text mining techniques are employed to identify patterns and key elements within the dataset. This analysis reveals how open innovation platforms contribute to sustainability, highlighting areas where they are most effective and identifying gaps for future research. The findings offer theoretical and practical insights, providing a detailed understanding of the current state of open innovation in the digital age, and their implications for sustainable development. This study aims to inform practitioners and policymakers about leveraging digital platforms to enhance sustainability efforts.