Overcoming open innovation challenges: a contribution from foresight and foresight networks

ABSTRACT The article identifies how the combination of concepts drawn from foresight and foresight networks can be used to help open innovation. We found that foresight can support open innovation by providing analysis that looks at key open innovation questions such as those around technology selection, identifying future customer needs and scanning for disruptions. Foresight can also help open innovation address some of the challenges that have been identified in the open innovation literature as barriers to effective open innovation. Foresight has experience around obtaining access to appropriate external experts and their knowledge; making sense of the mass of information that can emerge through a more open process, both areas that the open innovation literature has identified as being challenges to effective open innovation. Finally, a concept explored in this paper, foresight networks offer’s open innovation new ideas in innovative collaboration forms and how they can be pivotal in innovation and in assisting open innovation.

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