Challenges in networked innovation

The paper presents an exploratory study within a longitudinal research project on open innovation and, specifically, the collaboration of two or more companies, callednetworked innovation. Nine companies were interviewed to gain information on their motivation to use networked innovation and the challenges they encounter in doing so. They used two network types:elite circle and consortium. Challenges showed at different levels, concerning organization, project and actors. At organizational level, dominant factors determined whether a network could be started at all, mainly concerning companies within highly regulated sectors. At project level, the difficulties of networked innovation appeared in the form of highly dynamic processes to which traditional methods no longer apply. At actor levelproblems already known from intra-organizational teamwork showed up, augmented by the confrontation with different company cultures. The results are currently used as a basis for further research by a multidisciplinary team investigating networked innovation at the three levelsmentioned. barriers