The emergence of Open Innovation means, among other things, that innovation management will become more collaborative and that business model innovation will become as important as technological innovation. This author, who coined the term Open Innovation and literally wrote the book on it, has excellent advice for readers
Those who study innovation often can be overwhelmed by the variety and speed at which clever new products and services come into the market. But it is helpful to take a step back from these myriad innovations to reflect on the evolution not only of the technologies themselves but also the processes used to create, develop and manage them. While the latest technologies of the recent past (think of Facebook, Twitter, Android, iPod/iTunes/iPhone/iPad, just to name a few) get most of our attention, it is often the processes that led to the creation of these technologies that may prove more enduring. These also are being innovated.
Second, business model innovation will become as important as technological innovation. The business model is the predominant way a business creates value for its customers and captures some piece of that value for itself. It is generally accepted that a better business model can often beat a better technology. Yet companies that spend many millions of dollars on R&D seldom invest much money or time in exploring alternative business models to commercialize those discoveries. Not all business models are created equal, and we will learn how to design and improve business models in the coming decade.
Reprint from Ivey Business Journal
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