Open Innovation Platforms as a Sustainable Future Concept for Innovations in the Healthcare Sector (Follow-Up Study)

The research question of the previous study (Study No. 1) was motivated by open innovation platforms in other industries—such as the previously well-known American company LOCAL MOTORS from the automotive industry—where technological products were built with an effective marketing approach that appealed to creative and innovative individuals. While in “Study No. 1” we focused on the “willingness of academics to participate and collaborate in an open innovation platform to develop new innovative medical technology products with individuals, groups, communities and companies,” this follow-up study (Study No. 2) focuses on the “willingness of academics to participate in an open innovation platform in healthcare outside their qualifications and work experience,” which also leads to the need for these academics to build self-taught competence. This should activate creativity among the participating academics and promote new individual and group-based approaches to innovation management. In Study No. 2, we only surveyed those who had responded in Study No. 1 the willingness to co-develop medical technology products within an open innovation platform. Academic discipline (six categories) was the most important predictor of whether participation in an open innovation platform was likely outside of one’s own qualifications and professional experience. Academics from medicine and biology, as well as physics and chemistry, were significantly more willing to participate compared to philosophers. Language barriers, duration of the projects, acceptance of a project manager or motivating factors, such as money or fun, did not say anything about the prediction of possible participation. Overall, the development of an open innovation platform as a sustainable future concept for innovations in the healthcare sector offers an opportunity and should be promoted in order to offer academics interested in innovation another option for participating in innovation processes.