Open innovation strategy: a systematic literature review

Abstract

Purpose In a context each day more global, a new paradigm has emerged – open innovation (OI) – which may be understood as an innovation strategy in which organizations use internal and external knowledge to leverage their business value, thus maintaining a sustainable competitive advantage. This article aims to contribute to understanding this phenomenon, suggesting an integrated vision of OI strategies.

Design/methodology/approach This paper systematically reviews and analyzes a sample of 66 articles from Scopus and Web of Science databases related to open innovation strategies.

Findings The results obtained enabled us to group the existing literature into six different clusters: (1) Performance; (2) Open business model; (3) Intellectual Property; (4) Knowledge Management; (5) Innovation; and (6) Culture. Furthermore, this study identifies the major research gaps and provides suggestions for future research.

Originality/value The paper presents the main elements that interfere and interact in the innovation strategy providing a conceptual model that can be useful in understanding the phenomenon of open innovation.