ABSTRACT
In this text I illustrate the strong connection between modern, open innovation, the methods and ecosystems and the importance of intellectual capital for competitiveness and sustainable development both in societal and economic dimensions.
Open Innovation 2.0 (OI2) is used as the basis for the approach as it is strongly based on interactions, joint value creation and modern types of collaborative processes for innovation. This highlights the importance of the intellectual capital free flow, sparking ideas and thus making the structural intellectual capital work.
To create and reinforce the impact of structural capital in OI2 the processes and milieu are essential. Thus some 15 years ago the Living Labs were created as an innovation policy instrument on a European level. The target was to include real-world experimentation to simultaneously foster technology and societal development, and to extend limits bringing solutions where all quadruple helix stakeholders enjoy a joint win–win situation. Inclusion of the wisdom of the crowd is essential to discover pathways for innovation and the scaling up of ideas to reality.
The idea is to create open innovation regions where innovation happens faster and also the success rate is higher than in in-house laboratories, user pilots and testbeds. Not only geographical but also thematic networks are encouraged.
Very soon after the concept was created the practical processes were created by using Open Innovation 2.0. OI2, with the Open Innovation Ecosystems (OIE), created a fertile ground for co-creation in an environment providing a safety net for ideation, innovation and scale-up.
However, the frequently (mis)used word “smart” applies weight to technology-driven environments with (IoT-based) sensors, data processing and – in a certain manner – control. Hence the Japanese approach of “wise places” is much closer to the thinking of OIE, as the interactions within occur based on mutual, common values and trust, and foster common learning and development based on sharing. The human, societal and value-based approach is essential for sustainability in all senses.
Open Innovation 2.0 and structural intellectual impact go hand in hand.
