In an ever-changing economic environment, technology transfer through theopen innovation has become a preferred strategy for maximize return on investment (ROI), diversifying an innovation's applications and promoting academic research.
For companies, open innovation not only offers an opportunity to increase the profitability of their R&D investments, but also toexpand their markets by applying their know-how to new sectors. This approach also helps organizations to reduce development costs by sharing resources and risks with other companies. external partners.
Enhancing academic research through open innovation
For universities, open innovation is an effective way of enhancing the value of research results by transforming academic discoveries into concrete, market-ready solutions. By collaborating with industries interested in their innovations, universities strengthen their societal impact and support the commercialization of their scientific advances. This model of collaboration makes it possible to build bridges between academia and industry, accelerating technology transfer from research into practical, accessible applications.
Open innovation to accelerate technology transfer
L'open innovation enables companies toexploit external resources to accelerate their technology transfers, by reducing both costs and development times. This approach is attracting increasing attention from researchers and practitioners alike.
Thus, the study by Cholewa et al. (2022) analyses the effectiveness of open innovation support platforms in creating a collaborative environment adapted to the challenges of advanced industry, reinforcing technology transfer on a regional and international scale. The importance of open innovation in university-industry collaborations (UIC) is highlighted by Darminto et al. (2023), who show how these partnerships facilitate the transfer of know-how to industry and support competitiveness by matching university programs to industrial needs.
Similarly, Bejarano et al (2023) point out that open innovation improves technology transfer performance at universities by mobilizing internal and external resources. Their study identifies 36 open innovation factors that positively influence these processes, notably through knowledge management and R&D collaboration with industrial partners. In addition, Nidheesh (2023) explores the concept of desorption capacitywhich enables companies to transfer and market their in-house technologies externally, a key element of open innovation to encourage technology transfer to other organizations.
Finally, Gupta (2023) examines the the role of the international entrepreneurial ecosystem to encourage open innovation and technology transfer, underlining the importance of an triple helix" approach involving universities, industry and government to extend the reach of technologies beyond borders.
Key stages in technology transfer through open innovation
To achieve effective technology transfer through open innovation, it is essential to follow a series of well-defined steps that maximize the technology's impact on target markets while minimizing risks.
- The first step is to accurately describe the technology and to identify competitive advantages. This includes analyzing the technical characteristics, performance and specific innovations that differentiate it from existing solutions. For example, a technology offering greater energy efficiency or lower production costs needs to be positioned according to these assets to attract the interest of external parties. This description helps to clearly define the potential competitive advantages that could convince other players to integrate or acquire this technology.
- Next, it is crucial to detect usage opportunities of the technology in various fields. This stage involves exploring potential application sectors and emerging needs where this innovation could bring significant added value. For example, an advanced sensor technology could be applied in various sectors such as healthcare, automotive or home automation. Identifying uses enables us to target market segments where the technology could rapidly gain ground and stand out.
- The third step is theexpert identification in relation to the uses detected and the business sectors that could benefit from this technology. Thanks to open innovation platforms, it is possible to find experts specialized in these specific applications, as well as companies likely to be interested. These experts provide invaluable insights into how the technology can be adapted to the real needs of each sector, thus enhancing the relevance of the transfer. It is also strategic to identify companies with similar needs who could become partners or users of the technology.
- Once these targeting and identification stages have been completed, it's time to getting in touch with identified companies and experts. This includes setting up meetings, exchanging preliminary information and making presentations to demonstrate the benefits of the technology and its suitability for the needs of potential partners. Thanks to open innovation tools, this contact can be facilitated and secured, ensuring smooth and confidential information sharing.
- Finally, thecontact stage allows us to finalize the process, by negotiating the terms of collaboration or technology transfer, whether in the form of licenses, co-development partnerships, or direct sales. This phase is crucial for aligning the objectives of all parties and defining a contractual framework that protects everyone's interests.
Case studies and examples
ideXlab: a platform for connecting skills and promoting technology transfer
The ideXlab platform has become an essential tool for technology transfer, offering a unique rapid access to reliable information and in detecting the weak signals of technological change. With its detailed state-of-the-art reports, ideXlab enables companies toidentify emerging trends and map the ecosystems interested in a technologyWhether startups, experts or large corporations. By simplifying access to external skills and networks, ideXlab helps to structure and accelerate transfer processes, maximizing the chances of success in an open innovation context.
Nexans: open innovation to validate a technological project in the energy sector
As part of its R&D activities, the Nexans Group has used open innovation to assess the relevance of pursuing an investment in an energy storage technologyenergy. Thanks to ideXlab, the company was able to explore the potential applications of this technology and contact industry experts in order to validate its feasibility and attractiveness. This approach has enabled Nexans to structure its approach based on market constraintsThis will provide the company with a more enlightened vision to guide its investments and development projects.
Biotech SMEs: open innovation to cut costs and access new markets
For SMEs, open innovation offers a an effective way of compensating for a lack of in-house resources and gaining rapid access to outside expertise. An innovative SME in the field of biotechnologies has, for example, used ideXlab to identify partners capable of co-develop a new technology. This collaboration not only reduced development costs, but also accelerated the introduction of the technology in new markets.
Conclusion
Today, open innovation is an essential strategic tool for optimizing technology transfer. It enables companies of all sizes to access external resources and share the risks associated with innovation projects. Integrating platforms like ideXlab facilitates this process, transforming the challenges of technology transfer into real opportunities for growth and innovation.
References :
- Bejarano José Bestier Padilla, Sossa Jhon Wilder Zartha, Ocampo-lópez Carlos, Ramírez-carmona Margarita. open innovation: A technology transfer alternative from universities. A systematic literature review. Journal of Open Innovation: Technology Market and Complexity, 2023
- Cholewa Mariusz, Rosienkiewicz Maria, Molasy Mateusz, Helman Joanna. Analysis of Platforms Supporting open innovation Approach. Advances in Manufacturing Processes Intelligent Methods and Systems in Production Engineering, 2022
- Fitriasari Novi Sofia, Sensuse Dana Indra, Hidayat Deden Sumirat, Purwaningsih Erisva Hakiki. A Systematic Literature Review on University Collaboration in open innovation: Trends, Technologies, and Frameworks. Electronic Journal of Knowledge Management, 2024
- Gupta Deepika. open innovation and International Entrepreneurship Ecosystem. Innovation Technology and Knowledge Management, 2023
- Joseph Nidheesh. Knowledge management capability and outbound open innovation: Unpacking the role of desorptive capacity. Knowledge and Process Management, 2023
- Pujotomo Darminto, Ma'aram Azanizawati, Syed Hassan Syed Ahmad Helmi, Sutopo Wahyudi. University-industry collaboration in the technology development and technology commercialization stage: a systematic literature review. Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, 2023
The ideXlab open innovation platform is aimed at all innovative companies, whatever their sector or size, seeking to optimize their innovation and technological performance. In particular, it is aimed at R&D, innovation, technology watch and new product and service development and purchasing teams. Users may be engineers, scientists, innovation project managers, buyers of new technologies or strategic decision-makers.
