Sea Matilda Bez and Frédéric Le Roy explored the fascinating and somewhat counterintuitive idea of collaborating with competitors as part of open innovation strategies. While traditional open innovation research has often focused on partnerships with universities, suppliers, customers, and employees, competitors as a source of innovative knowledge have been relatively underexplored. Highlighted the emerging concept of coopetitive open innovation, where a «coopetitive mindset» is embraced, and both cooperation and competition are pursued simultaneously without diminishing the competitive aspect.
This approach opens up a new research agenda and offers fresh perspectives on managing open innovation with competitors. This chapter is a must-read for those interested in understanding the complexities and opportunities of integrating coopetition into open innovation, offering a nuanced view of how companies can innovate alongside their rivals while maintaining a competitive edge.
