The Evolution of Innovation

Abstract

The rapid spread of information and communications technology coupled with significant increases and lower costs of international flights and freight have created a changing innovation landscape. The EU OISPG sketches an evolution picture for the practice of innovation as shown in the figure below. In the past, much innovation came from individuals in places such as Bell Labs or IBM labs, which used a closed or vertical innovation approach. Open Innovation 2.0 (OI 2.0) as defined by the EU Open Innovation and Strategy Policy group (OISPG 2010) sees the benefits of collaboration and networking from a broader perspective as a way for firms and other organizations to improve their innovation base so as to make optimal use of the societal capital and ‘creative commons’ at their disposal.