Thesis defense of Ramon Uribe - Echeberria Aranzabal
Thesis defense of Ramon Uribe - Echeberria Aranzabal
Thesis defense of Ramon Uribe - Echeberria Aranzabal
Title of the thesis: "La innovación abierta en los centros tecnológicos y su efecto en el desempeño". Obtained the SOBRESALIENTE qualification.
- Title of the thesis: "La innovación abierta en los centros tecnológicos y su efecto en el desempeño"
- Court:
- President: José Albors Garrigós (Universidad Politécnica de Valencia)
- Vocal: Antonio Hidalgo Nuchera (Universidad Politécnica de Madrid)
- Vocal: Jaume Valls Pasola (Universidad de Barcelona)
- Vocal: Javier Retegui Albisua (Mondragon Unibertsitatea)
- Secretary: Jaione Ganzarain Epelde (Mondragon Unibertsitatea)
Abstract
The present investigation focuses in research and technology organizations, which are R&D agents, with a mission is to contribute to business development through knowledge and technology transfer. Research and technology organizations operate in a collaborative and open R&D&I context and can be considered paradigmatic agents of the open innovation model. Therefore, their capacity to benefit from their open innovation approach is fundamental for their sustainability and contribution to the innovation system and business development.
The research explores the open innovation phenomenon in research and technology organizations and the impact on their performance, from an integrative perspective of open innovation. It uses a quantitative approach that considers the most relevant dimensions of open innovation. Thus, the research addresses different issues of the open innovation phenomenon in research and technology organizations from an exploratory perspective, including (1) the objectives and barriers to open innovation, (2) the application of open innovation, (3) the impact of open innovation on performance, (4) the effect of organizational and management aspects and, (5) the existence of open innovation patterns. To investigate these issues, the research has obtained the data through a survey of the research and technology organizations in Spain with a purpose-built questionnaire. The data have been analysed using different analytical methods: descriptive analysis, structural equation modelling based on variance (PLS-SEM), and cluster analysis.
The thesis contributes to the field of open innovation research, by studying the phenomenon on research and technology organizations that differ substantially from commercial companies, where open innovation research has focused. Therefore, the research has developed a theoretical framework of analysis for the study of open innovation in research and technology organizations, developing and validating new constructs to measure essential aspects of open innovation and performance.
Research has shown the specific approach of research and technology organisations to open innovation, which differs from those found in companies showing different motivations and barriers in its application. It has also shown the wide use of open innovation by research and technology organisations and their strong connections with the different actors in the regional innovation system.
The results also show the positive effect that a wide collaboration network and the use of different open innovation practices have on the performance of research and technology organizations. The important role of organizational and managerial aspects for a successful application of open innovation, including intellectual property protection, has also been explored. Finally, the research identified two groups of research and technology organizations with different open innovation patterns and different performance, reinforcing the positive effect of open innovation on the performance of the research and technology organizations.
All these findings also have important practical implications for the different stakeholders: managers, public administrations and companies. Reflections and findings form this research provide useful insight to design effective open innovation strategies in research and technology organizations to enhance their performance and therefore their contribution to innovation systems and business development.
Keywords: research and technology organisations, open innovation, adoption, barriers, external collaboration, innovation practices, performance, organisational aperture, management, intellectual property protection, structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM), cluster analysis.