Open innovation in SMEs: a study of the Swedish bio-pharmaceutical industry

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to discuss how small and middle-sized enterprises (SMEs) utilize open innovation in practice. Open innovation has become a well-used rhetorical concept among key bio-pharmaceutical spokespersons, suggesting that it would help to renew the stagnated industry. We report a survey (N = 104) on Swedish SMEs in the bio-pharmaceutical industry, where we shed light on how widespread the knowledge and practical uses of open innovation activities actually are. The findings not only show that very few respondents are aware of the open innovation concept, but also that open innovation-related activities are to a large extent integrated within their ordinary innovation practices. The study also suggests that firms that are engaged in open innovation activities tend to be more innovation-productive than those who do not. Based on these findings, we propose that there is a casual relation between open innovation and entrepreneurial growth, in which open innovation activities can act as accelerators for entrepreneurial growth. At the same time, much ‘openness’ is still performed on informal and ad-hoc basis by SMEs in the industry.

L'objectif de cet article est d'examiner la manière dont les petites et moyennes entreprises (PME) ont recours à l'innovation partagée en pratique. L'innovation partagée est devenue un concept rhétorique chez les porte-paroles clés de la biopharmacie, ce qui laisse entendre qu'elle pourrait revitaliser cette industrie stagnante. Nous rendons compte d'une enquête (n = 104) sur les PME suédoises engagées dans l'industrie biopharmaceutique, sur laquelle nous apportons un éclairage en ce qui concerne l'ampleur réelle des connaissances sur les activités d'innovation partagée et leur utilisation pratique. Les résultats montrent que très peu de répondants savent l'existence du concept d'innovation partagée, mais également que les activités qui sont en lien avec elle tendent à être plus productives, en termes d'innovation, que celles qui ne le sont pas. Sur foi de ces résultats, nous émettons l'hypothèse qu'il existe un rapport informel entre l'innovation partagée et la croissance entrepreneuriale, en ce sens que les activités de la première peuvent jouer un rôle d'accélérateur de la seconde. Dans le même temps, beaucoup de « partage » est encore réalisé sur une base informelle et ad hoc par les PME dans cette industrie.

Keywords:

• open innovation
• bio-pharmaceutical industry
• Sweden

Mots clés:

• innovation ouverte
• l'industrie bio- pharmaceutique
• la Suède

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Björn Remneland Wikhamn

Björn Remneland Wikhamn is an associate professor in organizational theory and innovation management at the School of Business, Economics and Law, University of Gothenburg. His research interests include innovation practices and network organizing.

Wajda Wikhamn

Wajda Wikhamn is an associate professor in organizational behavior and human resource management at the School of Business, Economics and Law, University of Gothenburg. Her research interests include innovation, employee responsibility and quantitative methods, among other topics.

Alexander Styhre

Alexander Styhre is Professor and Chair of Organizational Theory and Management in the Department of Business Administration, School of Business, Economics and Law, University of Gothenburg. His work has appeared in several journals including Journal of Management Studies, Organization Studies, Human Relations, Organization, Gender, Work and Organization and British Journal of Management.