Title: Capturing the benefits of open innovation in public innovation: a case study

Authors: Lars Fuglsang

Addresses: Department of Communication Business and Information Technologies, Roskilde University, Building 23.1, P.O. Box 260, Roskilde DK-4000, Denmark

Abstract: How can the public sector benefit from open innovation? This paper makes a distinction between four frameworks of innovation, which are relevant to understanding service development and innovation in the public sector. They are called entrepreneurial innovation, institutional innovation, open innovation and strategic reflexive innovation, respectively. An example of public innovation, analysed here, is the creation of a healthcare centre in Copenhagen in 2005. This paper argues that a pattern of |open innovation| (following Chesbrough) is becoming more pertinent to service development in the public sector. Based on the case study, it is discussed how certain public sector actions are needed to capture the benefits of open innovation which relate to the ideas of strategic reflexivity (Fuglsang and Sundbo). These are: getting involved, identifying demand, exploring incentives for co-creation and encouraging entrepreneurship.

Keywords: public innovation; open innovation; healthcare; strategic reflexivity; public sector; service development; services innovation; entrepreneurial innovation; institutional innovation; strategic reflexive innovation; entrepreneurship; Denmark.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSTM.2008.019705

International Journal of Services Technology and Management, 2008 Vol.9 No.3/4, pp.234 - 248

Published online: 24 Jul 2008 *

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