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Innovation is the lifeblood of any thriving business. But here’s a secret: the best ideas don’t always come from within your walls. Sometimes, the real magic happens when you invite your customers to join the creative process. That’s where collaborative product innovation steps in, transforming how products are designed, developed, and delivered. Ready to discover how working hand-in-hand with your customers can turbocharge your innovation efforts? Let’s dive in! Why Collabo

Lessons from the Open Innovation South Tyrol project Can small and medium-sized enterprises really benefit from open innovation?That’s exactly what a fascinating South Tyrolean experiment set out to discover. In 2012 , the LVH (South Tyrolean Association of Craftsmen)  joined forces with the Munich-based innovation agency Hyve AG  and the University of Innsbruck  to launch a crowdsourcing platform  for local SMEs.The initiative was part of an EU-funded project  designed to ex

Unleashing Your Inner Villain: What Entrepreneurs Can Learn from Great Antagonists We’ve all seen it: that movie, cartoon, or book where the villain almost wins. The plan is flawless, the execution is sharp, and for a moment… it looks like they’ll actually pull it off. I was thinking that entrepreneurs could benefit from this perspective. If you look closely, there’s a pattern behind every great villain’s near-success and those patterns can teach startups and SMEs a lot about

There was a time when innovation happened behind closed doors — in secret labs, protected workshops, and carefully guarded offices. Companies believed that to stay ahead, they had to keep everything in-house: ideas, research, expertise. But that era is over. Welcome to the Age of Collaboration , where isolation kills creativity — and connection fuels it. Innovation Has Outgrown the Walls of the Company In the past, innovation was a linear process: invent → develop → launch →

Imagine a local manufacturing SME that’s been thriving for decades. Reliable clients, loyal employees, and products that have stood the test of time.Then one year, everything changes. Customers start asking for digital services. Competitors roll out new, data-driven solutions. Supply chains shift overnight. The company’s once-stable model begins to crack, not because of poor management, but because the world around it has evolved faster than it could adapt. This story isn’t u

In today’s hyper-competitive market, small and mid-sized enterprises (SMEs) can’t afford to stand still. But here’s the challenge: you’re expected to grow, digitalize, innovate, and scale , all while running lean on time, talent, and budget. Sounds familiar? That’s why more and more SMEs are embracing open innovation (OI) , a strategy that involves collaborating with external partners like startups, universities, tech labs, and even customers to solve problems and create valu

Imagine you're a small business owner with a great idea but limited time, resources, and expertise. What if you could open up  your innovation process and collaborate with universities, startups, researchers, or even customers to make that idea a reality? Welcome to the world of open innovation , where sharing knowledge beats secrecy, and collaboration accelerates progress. 🔍 So, What Is  Open Innovation? Traditionally, companies have followed a closed innovation  model: R&D