The existing literature on open innovation mostly concentrates on large firms. Little is known about the role of open innovation in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). In this paper we explore how SMEs engage in open innovation search. We draw upon a new survey of 1,489 SMEs. Results...

The concept of open innovation lies at the heart of the current research debate on innovation and strategy. Existing literature indicates that firms vitalize their interest in opening their innovation processes and business models to commercialize not only their own ideas but also external ones....

In this paper we explore how SMEs engage in external knowledge sourcing, a form of inbound open innovation. We draw upon a sample of 1,411 SMEs and empirically conceptualize a typology of strategic types of external knowledge sourcing, namely minimal, supply-chain, technology-oriented,...