There is a growing realisation that while open innovation (OI) is good for business it can also help to address the ‘Grand Challenges’, and benefit social and environmental sustainability, observes Francesco Cappa of Rome Tre University, who is chair of track 4.1 at the 2025 R&D Management Conference.
In a recent survey*, 75% of organisations said that open innovation is critical to addressing complex challenges in their business landscape, and 83% said a collaborative approach is vital for achieving sustainability goals.
The research, commissioned by Cap Gemini, is based on interviews with 2,000 senior executives in large organisations of over USD 1 billion and it found that organisations also reported improved agility when adopting OI.
It is against this background that Francesco and his collaborators decided to propose the track. He says:
“Open Innovation and Sustainability are two hot topics that are attracting interest, as many organisations are now implementing an open approach to knowledge creation. This approach also has potential to benefit the environment and the society as a whole.
“My colleagues and I have been very active research-wise around these two themes in recent years, and a track on this theme at the 2024 R&D Management conference attracted 20 submissions, highlighting the global interest in these topics.
“So we are very passionate and interested in receiving contributions this year. Bringing together valuable research outcomes and expert scholars in the field may provide interesting feedback for further developing the body of knowledge in this area (exactly the aim of Open Innovation indeed!).”
*‘The Power of Open Minds – How open innovation offers benefits for all’ – research by Cap Gemini 2023.
4.1 Open Innovation and Sustainability: Opportunities and Challenges in the Digital Age
Open Innovation (OI) is emerging as a driver for sustainable innovation. By incorporating outside partners within the innovation process it offers the potential to boost development and performance while also benefiting society at large.
Although terms like “sustainable open innovation,” “open sustainable innovation,” and “open social innovation” have recently emerged to attempt to link openness with sustainability, few studies have examined the link between OI, sustainability, and digitisation and their joint consideration, despite their relevance for companies.
This particular track therefore aims to synthesize knowledge from different domains in order to illuminate how OI may promote sustainable development in the digital era.
R&D Management Conference 2025:
Innovation & Biodiversity
Institute of Management of Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, Pisa
30 June – 2 July 2025
Track 4.1 Open Innovation and Sustainability: Opportunities and Challenges in the Digital Age
Track chair: Francesco Cappa, Rome Tre University, Rome, Italy
Co-chairs:
Stefano Franco, Polytechnic University of Bari, Bari, Italy
Mats Magnusson, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
Antonio Messeni Petruzzelli, Polytechnic University of Bari, Bari, Italy
