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What are the Best Routes to Innovation Success?

Oct-02-13 By IdeaConnection
New research offers some useful information to companies concerned about their innovation portfolio.

In Make, Buy, or Ally? Choice of and Payoff to Alternate Strategies for Innovations the authors analyze the question of whether it is better for companies to make, buy, or ally for innovations.

They found that R&D and alliances had a higher payoff than acquisitions which generates a negative payoff.

Four Open Innovation Success Stories

Sep-30-13 By IdeaConnection
The business landscape is dotted with numerous success stories of open innovation in practice and how engaging with distributed networks of brilliant minds can help companies solve problems and/or achieve their innovation goals.

We feature them on our website to show how well executed OI projects can reap gold. Here are a few examples of some of the stand-out open innovation success stories:

Crowdsourcing Project Maps More than 300,000 Galaxies

Sep-28-13 By IdeaConnection
A major crowdsourcing initiative is giving us unprecedented insights into the Universe. Minnesota University scientists have reported that more than 83,000 volunteer citizen scientists have mapped over 300,000 galaxies as part of Galaxy Zoo 2.

They have helped to build a database that’s at least ten times larger than any previous galaxies catalog.

New IdeaConnection Open Innovation Challenges

Sep-22-13 By IdeaConnection
Arsenic contamination of the groundwater in Bangladesh is a huge problem. Up to 77 million people have been exposed to toxic levels of the chemical in drinking water, according to a report in the medical journal The Lancet. The World Health Organisation (WHO) calls the arsenic situation “the largest mass poisoning of a population in history.”

Can you help the people of Bangladesh by designing an arsenic removal water filter? IdeaConnection has teamed up with Chemists Without Borders to issue an open innovation challenge for an inexpensive water filter that removes arsenic to less than 50 ppb (Bangladeshi standard) or, ideally, to less than 10 ppb (WHO standard).

Dictionary Embraces Open Innovation for New Words

Sep-21-13 By IdeaConnection
The Chambers Dictionary is going to invite members of the public to suggest new words for its 13th edition.

It's an open innovation approach that has been around for centuries. In the 18th century, the Oxford English Dictionary collated words from thousands of English-speaking people across the world.

Jet Engine Bracket Open Innovation Contest Finalists Announced

Sep-18-13 By IdeaConnection
GE (General Electric) has revealed the top ten finalists for its open innovation Jet Engine Bracket Design Quest. The challenge invited individuals, institutions and companies to come up with a new design for loading brackets found on jet engines using 3D printing (also known as additive manufacturing).

The brackets are needed to support the engines during handling and stay on the engine all the time. They must be strong and durable.

Fighting the Flab with Open Innovation

Sep-17-13 By IdeaConnection
A new open innovation challenge is seeking solutions for the toughest healthcare issues facing women and their families.

Launched by Novant Health, a not-for-profit based in North Carolina, the current four-week project hopes to conclude with a collection of ready-to-pilot ideas to better manage weight.

Elmer’s Products Shares its Open Innovation Experiences

Sep-15-13 By IdeaConnection
Up until two years ago, Elmer’s Products dealt with new product development internally under the direction of individual business leaders. Today, that’s all changed and an Innovation Team works across the company’s business units coordinating internal and external efforts.

In an interview with Consumer Goods Technology, Joe Wetli, director of Innovation and New Business Development for Elmer’s discusses how he has helped the Glue-All and crafts products company switch to an OI approach.

Global Youth Demand Innovation Support

Sep-13-13 By IdeaConnection
One message came through loud and clear at the BYND 2015 Global Youth Summit in Costa Rica this week – and that was that young people from across the world want governments to support innovation and technology.

The United Nations-sponsored conference was attended by 700 young people and followed online by at least another 3,000 who also contributed ideas to social media hubs in 25 different countries.

Crowdsourcing to Protect Endangered Species

Sep-11-13 By IdeaConnection
According to the Kenya Wildlife Service the current population of black rhinos in Africa is an estimated 3,100, down from about 65,000 in 1970. One of the principle reasons for their decline has been poaching. Many of the animals are hunted down and killed for their horns.

To help protect these and other endangered animals, the Instant Wild Project has created an Instant Wild app where members of the public can assist researchers and conservationists in learning more about endangered species and preventing poaching.

The crowdsourcing project has already led to the identification of species that were thought to be extinct.