Disruptions often call for rapid innovation at scale. Open innovation (OI) is critical in such contexts because it allows organizations to access resources beyond the firm’s boundaries. Yet, many OI projects fail, posing significant risks during disruptions. This article examines 12 ventilator development projects during the COVID-19 pandemic, of which only seven succeeded. Fifty-five interviews were analyzed to understand how organizational roles influence the outcomes of OI projects in times of disruption. The key finding is that projects that succeeded involved an organizational role largely absent in those that failed: namely, a catalyst.

中文翻译：

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关键催化剂：在颠覆时期正确开展开放式创新项目


颠覆通常需要大规模的快速创新。在这种情况下，开放式创新 （OI） 至关重要，因为它允许组织访问公司边界之外的资源。然而，许多 OI 项目失败了，在中断期间构成了重大风险。本文研究了 COVID-19 大流行期间的 12 个呼吸机开发项目，其中只有 7 个成功。分析了 55 次访谈，以了解组织角色在中断时期如何影响 OI 项目的结果。关键的发现是，成功的项目涉及一个组织角色，而那些失败的项目则基本上不存在：即催化剂。