According to the most commonly accepted definition, open innovation is the use of both internal and external knowledge to fuel innovation, and both internal and external paths to commercialize new products and business models (Chesbrough 2003). Businesses adopting open innovation use both external and internal ideas to create value: internal ideas can be taken to market through external channels and ideas can start from outside the firm and be taken inside.
Some industries have been adopting open innovation models for a long time -although definition might have been different- through networks of partnerships and alliances, aimed at cooperating along the value chain. As the concept has gained momentum in recent years, it is often studied supposing a clear-cut dichotomy between closed and open approaches, while many industries, such as automotive, pharma IT and software, are in transition. Similarly, different models of open innovation can be found in the practice of companies as regard the number and types of partners, the kind of governance of the innovation networks, the degree of integration and the kind of support they seek from innovation intermediaries.
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