What can the EU Learn from the USA in the Field of Innovation?

Abstract

The rationale for more European Commission (EC) support for Open Innovation is there, as a whole-of-society approach seems to be the best to address the challenges arising mainly from competition at the global level. This paper supported this view and was built as a case study research paper based on the EU and USA case studies. In the first sections, a theoretical framework is built, which establishes a link between R&D, innovation, and competitiveness, introduces culture and military as factors influencing innovation, and shows how open innovation has changed innovation. A discussion evolves regarding the current position of the EU and EU countries in terms of innovation and what the EC is undertaking to address the identified challenges. The core section is dedicated to the case study, elaborates benchmarks, gains learnings from a country successful in the field of (open) innovation such as the USA, and suggests what the EC could concretely implement in the case of the EU. The outlook section suggests a few possible areas for future research and policies.