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Using Open Innovation Platforms for Technology Transfer

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New Perspectives in Technology Transfer

Abstract

The use of Internet platforms such as open innovation platforms is a quite new strategy in innovation management that marks a rethinking from classical principles of coordination in innovation processes. Instead of relying exclusively on the internal expertise of their own researchers and developers, companies are increasingly integrating external problem-solvers (often supported by so-called innovation intermediaries) into their innovation processes. As an alternative to conducting traditional research or commissioning engineering service providers or academics with third-party contracts, a large, undefined network of actors are openly invited to participate in the innovative project (known as the “broadcast search” principle). Participants who know an answer to the problem respond by providing solutions—despite never being commissioned to do so by a manager. This procedure offers completely new potential and opportunities for knowledge and technology transfer and gives access to the knowledge held by third parties in new ways.

This chapter draws on an earlier publication by the authors in Piller and Hilgers (2013).

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Correspondence to Dennis Hilgers .

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Piller, F., Hilgers, D., Ihl, C., Schmidthuber, L. (2021). Using Open Innovation Platforms for Technology Transfer. In: Mietzner, D., Schultz, C. (eds) New Perspectives in Technology Transfer. FGF Studies in Small Business and Entrepreneurship. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-61477-5_13

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