Open-innovation in inter-organisational networks in the IT industry

Open innovation has been recognised by the IT industry as a novel way to create innovation, where organisations open their innovation processes and cooperate with others to develop new products and services. We study open innovation by looking at another new trend, innovation through customising standard software as a business model. We investigate the open innovation activities of an interorganisational network which consists of a small customising company, a large global software producer and other involved companies. We integrate formally separate aspects of open innovation and inter-organisational networks, broaden the view from one focal firm to the relations in a network of companies and underline the importance of balanced formal and informal relations, and 'coopetive' and opportunistic behaviour for the open innovation process.