Local Open Innovation: How to Go from Ideas to Solutions

Local open innovation can be used to create a powerful dynamic within a local multi-stakeholder environment. This article shares the experiences of setting up a collaborative innovation process in a regional initiative in the Netherlands. In the first phase of the process, a couple of interactive idea generating sessions have been organized. These so called Quest for Solutions sessions have not only generated a rich set of useful solutions, but they also created a positive vibe within the local community. Factors that have contributed to the success of the idea generation sessions are working around real-life problems involving people who are directly affected by the problem. The structure of the sessions with alternating phases of divergence, exploration, and convergence allowed for broad understanding of the problems, exploration of potential solutions, and working towards result-oriented value statements. Key challenges in translating the ideas into solutions have been determining the value case and dealing with intellectual property. Special attention is given to the notion of innovative contract design as a means of dealing with intellectual property in an environment of local open innovation.