Actual innovation through collaboration
With the establishment of the Chair in Open Innovation, the OU is capitalising on the trend for organisations and institutions to work together to achieve real innovation. Open Innovation (OI) is a long-established method, yet the theoretical concept of OI is more recent. Nadine Roijakkers: 'Over the past 15 years, OI has gained importance because researchers, policymakers and practitioners are convinced that the most urgent (global) challenges can only be tackled if organisations and institutions work together with external partners. Consider the need to create sustainable solutions by companies or the energy transition at national and international level. To do so requires a different way of working.'
Attractive for SMEs
Nowadays, it is mainly large companies and multinationals that join forces for innovation. For them, open innovation is now more relevant than ever before. Roijakkers: 'Broaden OI also to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Open innovation as a concept offers entrepreneurs an attractive perspective. Working with entrepreneurs in the SME requires a different set of mind- and skills for us as researchers'.
Strategic alliances
Roijakkers is also considering research into strategic alliances. Open innovation is then used as an all-embracing, in-depth concept in which different, previously separate, research areas are integrated in order to obtain multidisciplinary insights. How human interaction contributes to the success of OI will also be the subject of her research.
Innovative education
As Professor of Open Innovation, Roijakkers is responsible for designing and delivering (innovative) education in the field of OI. She is responsible for ensuring that insights from OI research are directly transferred to the education system and that both PhD students and Master's students are effectively supported in OI-related subjects. 'I am proud of how within our MBA programme yOUrMBA the Certified Professional Program Innovation Management supports students in acquiring state-of-the-art management skills'.
About Nadine Roijakkers
Prof. Dr. Nadine Roijakkers (Maasbracht, 1976) is responsible for the MBA programme in yOUrMBA at the Open University. She obtained her PhD at Maastricht University in 2002. In addition to her career in academia, she was also a senior strategy consultant at Atos-KPMG Consulting, where she advised international companies on their cooperation strategies and practices for a number of years. Roijakkers has published numerous articles and books on alliance management and (open) innovation management.
An overview of the publications of Roijakkers is available.