<p>It is visible in the innovation literature the tendency to evolve the innovation process into a moreopen and flexible model where innovators of all types can interact freely. This fairly recentparadigm known as Open Innovation is a phenomenon with still a considerable amount of opengaps and challenges. Therefore the question of how integration is achieved between differenttypes of outside innovators remains unanswered. Many organizations, some in more extent thanothers, are already applying Open Innovation within networks; however there is still not a clearunderstanding or a formal theory that describes the mechanisms that can help integrate theinnovation activities with other actors. To address this challenge, we conducted an exploratorystudy in 7 different organizations representing two types of innovators (private firms andacademic institutions) and a nexus agency that acts as an integrator between them. The first partof the results consist of an extensive list of 27 integration mechanisms applicable in openinnovation projects later categorized in 5 new main categories for their practical study anddiscussion. More abstractly, as relationships between these integration mechanisms and interorganizationalnetworks have not been analyzed yet, we want to propose a framework that canprovide an initial notion of their role and interaction in Open Innovation Projects. Thisframework is valuable to consider the applicability of the proposed integration mechanismscategories in different OI settings and supports the understanding of how the harmonization ofOI efforts occurs with different types of innovators. Having a framework of this typeconsiderably extends the understanding of integration in the Open Innovation field and providesas well a guide for organizations to identify how to integrate open innovation efforts.</p>

It is visible in the innovation literature the tendency to evolve the innovation process into a moreopen and flexible model where innovators of all types can interact freely. This fairly recentparadigm known as Open Innovation is a phenomenon with still a considerable amount of opengaps and challenges. Therefore the question of how integration is achieved between differenttypes of outside innovators remains unanswered. Many organizations, some in more extent thanothers, are already applying Open Innovation within networks; however there is still not a clearunderstanding or a formal theory that describes the mechanisms that can help integrate theinnovation activities with other actors. To address this challenge, we conducted an exploratorystudy in 7 different organizations representing two types of innovators (private firms andacademic institutions) and a nexus agency that acts as an integrator between them. The first partof the results consist of an extensive list of 27 integration mechanisms applicable in openinnovation projects later categorized in 5 new main categories for their practical study anddiscussion. More abstractly, as relationships between these integration mechanisms and interorganizationalnetworks have not been analyzed yet, we want to propose a framework that canprovide an initial notion of their role and interaction in Open Innovation Projects. Thisframework is valuable to consider the applicability of the proposed integration mechanismscategories in different OI settings and supports the understanding of how the harmonization ofOI efforts occurs with different types of innovators. Having a framework of this typeconsiderably extends the understanding of integration in the Open Innovation field and providesas well a guide for organizations to identify how to integrate open innovation efforts.

This study looks at Open Innovation in Research and Development projects and explores the nature of collaboration and leadership characteristics. Thereby perspectives of both industrial and academic partners are considered, focusing primarily on the project level of the collaboration. It is based on the understanding that leadership plays a crucial role in bringing the partners successfully together, based on the prior understanding that academia and industry are potentially different in the nature, objectives and working dynamics of research and development.   This thesis begins with examining the existing literature on the concept of Open Innovation, including benefits and drawbacks of such projects. This leads to uncovering the managerial challenges that such projects encounter which can be mitigated by effective leadership. For this reason, relevant theories on leadership are explored, especially focusing on leadership in R&amp;D contexts, as these kind of projects have special requirements from leaders that differ from traditional projects.  This research is qualitative in nature and takes an abductive approach to theory. 18 semi-structured interviews were conducted, consulting with heads of R&amp;D departments from industrial companies, professors in charge of research labs at universities and representatives from intermediary organisations. The study is exploratory and cross-sectional in nature, as open innovation collaborations in Sweden, the UK and the Netherlands were in the centre of attention. The process of analysis implied the use of a template analysis, which provided the researchers with enough flexibility to code, categorize, and interpret necessary findings. The results show that the nature of Open Innovation collaborations differs from case to case, from mere contractual relationships to collaborative partnerships with a high level of interaction on a daily basis. The key motive for both partners is finance-based, as the universities gain access to funding and the company can save on research expenses. Additionally, companies benefit from access to academic expertise and from potential governmental funding.  Further, there is not a single leader in an industry-university collaboration, rather each entity has a leader of their own and collaborative working is fostered by them. It is deduced that no single leadership theory fits best in the operational level of R&amp;D open innovation functioning, rather it is a mixture of a few popular theories which were predominant in collaborative relationships. The characteristics of leaders in open innovation were deduced and autonomy, communication and joint problem-solving have a prominent role in furthering the R&amp;D collaborative relationship. As a result, a connection between leadership and Open Innovation collaborations was explored.