Nowadays, German Mittelstand firms are increasingly innovating across company boundaries. The study shows triggers, functionalities and challenges of this joint innovation development. Collaborative innovation is often initiated in response to resource constraints or strategic considerations. The process is highly dynamic, involving continuous feedback loops between the participating organisations. At its core is the exchange of knowledge, which is essential for transforming ideas into successful innovations. The knowledge created through collaboration not only enables the successful implementation of the innovation itself but also strengthens the partners’ capabilities for future innovation projects beyond the original collaboration. Successful collaborative innovation therefore depends on openness, mutual trust, and a shared commitment to knowledge exchange.
IfM-Materialien | 2020 Cross-company innovations in change: An opportunity for Mittelstand firms?
Brink, S.; Löher, J.; Icks, A.; Pasing, P.; Haase, I. (2020): Unternehmensübergreifende Innovationen im Wandel: Eine Chance für mittelständische Unternehmen?, IfM Bonn: IfM-Materialien Nr. 277, Bonn.