Executive Summary: Top 12 Open Innovation Examples

 

 

Open innovation is the deliberate use of external ideas, technologies, and partnerships to accelerate product development and expand innovation capacity beyond internal R&D teams.

The approach has achieved near-universal adoption, with 95% of corporations embracing open innovation. 72% of large European enterprises run formal collaboration projects with startups.

Top 12 Open Innovation Examples to Learn From [2026]

1. LEGO Ideas

LEGO Ideas exemplifies consumer-driven open innovation at scale. Launched in 2008, the platform allows fans to submit and vote on new model concepts. It requires 10 000 votes for an idea to reach formal review.

Moreover, each chosen creator receives a 1% royalty on net sales and works directly with LEGO’s internal designers throughout the development process. This way, co-creation takes place genuinely rather than simple outsourcing.

In the second 2025 review period, 146 projects met this threshold. It is more than double the previous record of 71 projects set in the first 2023 review.

Further, the platform has grown from 20 000 beta users in 2011 to over 1 million active users by 2018. It evolved into a USD 90 million business with a 40% earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) margin.

As of 2025, the community has expanded to over 2.8 million members who have shared and debated more than 135 000 ideas for LEGO sets.

The company achieved record revenue of DKK 74.3 billion in 2024, while consumer sales increased by 12%.

Since its inception, LEGO has maintained a highly selective implementation approach. The current acceptance rate stands at only 7.3% of projects that reach 10 000 supporters. This means approximately 1 out of 14 qualified submissions gets approved for production.

2. Starbucks’ My Starbucks Idea

Starbucks launched the My Starbucks Idea crowdsourcing platform in March 2008, during the global financial crisis. It aimed to address growing business challenges by shifting toward customer-driven innovation.

The platform operated for ten years and closed in June 2018. During that time, it turned customer feedback into actionable changes in products and services.

Customer participation remained strong throughout the platform’s lifespan. In the first year, users submitted around 70 000 ideas. The total had surpassed 150 000 across three categories by 2013. The categories were product (105 161 ideas), experience (35 098 ideas), and involvement (21 897 ideas).

Out of 162 156 total submissions, Starbucks implemented 320 ideas, which is about one for every 500. Most came from the product category (255), followed by experience (46) and involvement (19). Moreover, implementation grew steadily with 25 ideas in 2008, 73 by 2012, and 277 by 2013.

 

Credit: EconStor

 

Several customer suggestions led to lasting changes. For example, free Wi-Fi, which is now available in all stores, originated from the platform.

Cake pops also came from customer input. These treats were designed as smaller dessert options and sold over 5.8 million units annually.

Starbucks further introduced mobile payments at drive-thrus based on user feedback. US stores processed over 3 million mobile transactions each week by 2013.

The platform launched at a time of financial strain. In 2008, Starbucks reported a 28% drop in profits and closed 600 stores. However, annual profits had climbed to USD 945 million by 2010, up from USD 315 million in 2008. The platform played a role in this recovery by aligning business decisions with customer input.

3. Coca-Cola

Coca-Cola applies open innovation by combining consumer co-creation with startup-led technology partnerships. This improves product development, operational efficiency, and sustainability goals.

The company launched several initiatives. The Bridge commercialization program began in Tel Aviv in 2014 and focuses on commercialization to generate revenue and reduce costs for Coca-Cola.

Further, the Coca-Cola Founders Program, which was active from 2014 to 2018, and participation in the 100+ Accelerator focused on sustainability. These efforts enabled sourcing, testing, and scaling external innovations across operations in more than 200 countries.

In its first three cohorts, 30 startups ran 90 pilots and signed 27 licensing agreements. For example, Cimagine, an augmented reality (AR) firm, was acquired by Snap in December 2016. Another startup, Bringg, raised USD 10 million in March 2017, with Coca-Cola among the investors.

Coca-Cola also adopted AI-based demand forecasting through startup collaboration. This solution uses historical sales data, weather trends, and Google geolocation to predict retail demand. It addresses issues like understocked coolers and missed sales, as well as sends WhatsApp alerts to retail managers.

Additionally, the company partners with startups to tackle environmental issues like packaging waste, water use, and carbon emissions.

Its “World Without Waste” initiative, launched in 2018, set clear goals. Coca-Cola aims to make all packaging recyclable by 2025. And, it plans to collect and recycle the equivalent of every bottle or can sold by 2030.

4. Nivea’s Co-Lab

Nivea launched Co-Lab in 2018 with a focus on three countries: the UK, South Korea (Seoul), and Brazil (Sao Paulo). The program invited entrepreneurs, tech startups, universities, design academies, and the public to submit ideas to promote personal connections in a digital world.

This initiative reflects Beiersdorf’s broader strategy. The company recognized that maintaining growth required doubling R&D spending every 13 years. So, open innovation became essential to reduce the financial strain of internal development.

Matt Marlow, Head of Global Digital Activation at Beiersdorf, explained the approach, “When it comes to creativity, we recognize that good ideas can come from anywhere. So we’re reaching outside of our normal approach to creative development and are involving the very communities who use our products to tell us what we should do.”

The Co-Lab followed a tiered selection process. The submissions closed on September 4, 2018, and the shortlisted participants attended mentorship sessions in London, Sao Paulo, or Seoul. The strategists and technology experts from Nivea led these sessions.

There was one finalist from each city, and they pitched their ideas live at Beiersdorf’s headquarters in Hamburg, Germany. Winners received EUR 10 000 and a chance to collaborate with Nivea and digital agency Cheil Worldwide to bring their concepts to market.

5. NASA

NASA applies open innovation through a network of programs and platforms. The Center of Excellence for Collaborative Innovation (CoECI) has coordinated NASA’s prizes, challenges, and crowdsourcing efforts since 2011.

The NASA Tournament Lab was launched in 2010. It began as a joint initiative with Harvard Business School and the Institute for Quantitative Social Science. The lab serves as NASA’s platform for public challenges and also supports other federal agencies.

With open innovation, NASA responds quickly to urgent needs. For instance, during global quarantines, the International Space Apps COVID-19 Challenge invited a diverse group of entrepreneurs, scientists, designers, artists, and technologists to solve problems virtually over a weekend.

The participants used Earth observation data from NASA and partner space agencies. Their work demonstrated how satellite data could improve understanding of the COVID-19 outbreak at global and local levels. The event drew over 15 000 participants across 2000 virtual teams from 150 countries.

The Space Apps Challenge expanded further in 2024. It registered 93 520 participants from 163 countries, with these individuals forming 15 444 teams and submitting 9996 projects.

Moreover, data from the NASA Open Innovation Service (NOIS) shows that 98% of challenges led to cost savings, while 90% saved time. A Harvard Business School case study highlights that these challenges deliver quick results and require payment only for successful outcomes.

 

6. Samsung’s Creative Lab (C-Lab)

Samsung launched Creative Lab in December 2012 as an internal incubation program to support employee-led projects and business ideas. The initiative began during a period of global economic uncertainty.

Samsung recognized that traditional top-down management structures no longer supported long-term growth. C-Lab combines inside-out and outside-in innovation. By February 2025, it had supported 959 startups and projects, 423 through C-Lab Inside and 536 through C-Lab Outside.

C-Lab Inside encourages employees to form teams within a flat organizational structure. It reduces management layers and shifts away from hierarchical models. The program remains open to all Samsung employees, and around 100 participants receive workspace, funding, and autonomy to develop their ideas.

The selection occurs through an annual competition. For instance, when C-Lab Space launched, 12 final winners were chosen through presentations and employee voting, where teams worked on their projects for one year.

Further, several projects from C-Lab Inside transitioned into Samsung products and services. These include Galaxy upcycling, eco-friendly packaging, lifestyle TV “The Sero,” camera upgrades, and Samsung Pay features.

Samsung introduced C-Lab Outside in October 2018. The program shares internal expertise while supporting Korea’s startup ecosystem.

The selected startups receive office space at Samsung R&D centers, including the Seoul facility. They also gain access to tailored development programs, up to KRW 100 million in support funds, and mentoring from Samsung experts. Also, the participation in exhibitions and collaboration with Samsung Electronics divisions further enhances their growth.

However, competition remains strong, with the online selection process drawing 501 applications in 2020 and only 18 startups advancing to the final stage.

7. Bosch’s Open Bosch Platform

Bosch applies open innovation through a layered model that includes supplier collaboration, startup engagement, academic partnerships, and internal venture development.

It launched the Open Bosch platform in 2018 to connect startups, researchers, and entrepreneurs with its core business areas: Mobility, Consumer Goods, Energy and Building Technology, and Industrial Technology.

The companies submit technologies, products, patents, or solutions through the innovate-bosch.com portal. After submission, Bosch experts review proposals over a two-month period and give updates to the applicants on whether their ideas align with Bosch’s interests. If accepted, each receives a personal advisor who connects them with relevant teams and business units.

Bosch also partners with universities and research institutions worldwide. The University of Stuttgart provides Bosch with a steady stream of technical graduates in Germany to support talent development and collaboration.

In October 2024, Bosch and the university co-hosted Inventing the Future. The event brought students and Bosch Research experts together to explore topics like quantum technology, intelligent robotics, autonomous systems, and data-integrated simulation science.

8. IBM Ecosystem Open Innovation

IBM’s open innovation strategy focuses on building a collaborative technology network. It brings together research institutions, startups, academic partners, and enterprise clients to accelerate the development of emerging technologies.

Under the leadership of Chairman and CEO Arvind Krishna, IBM has shifted partners from supporting roles to central contributors in its go-to-market approach. In May 2023, Krishna shared that partner-related revenue grew from 15% to 40% in two years, with the aim to increase that share to 80% within three to five years.

IBM works with around 55 000 channel partners globally, including 12 000 in North America. In January 2023, the company launched IBM Partner Plus to replace the earlier PartnerWorld program. The new initiative quickly attracted additional partners.

Also, IBM committed USD 1 billion to expand its hybrid cloud ecosystem in February 2021. This investment included incentives for third-party software providers to build on IBM’s open hybrid cloud platform.

The company also maintains a strong presence in open-source development. It manages over 2900 GitHub repositories, with more than 7400 employees contributing regularly. These contributors make about 20 000 commits each month.

 

 

9. Procter & Gamble’s Connect + Develop

Procter & Gamble (P&G) launched the Connect + Develop (C+D) program in 2001 under CEO A.G. Lafley to mark a shift toward structured open innovation.

In a 2006 Harvard Business Review article, Lafley and CTO Bruce Brown explained the need to move beyond internal-only R&D. They noted that for every P&G researcher, roughly 200 qualified scientists or engineers existed elsewhere. It totals to an estimated 1.5 million external experts compared to P&G’s 7500 internal staff.

P&G set a goal to source 50% of its innovation through external collaboration. The company met this target by 2009. Its annual report that year stated that more than half of the product innovations included contributions from external partners.

To support this approach, P&G built proprietary networks like Synergy for supplier collaboration and open networks for broader participation.

P&G introduced a new Connect + Develop digital hub in April 2024. The platform allows external partners to understand the program, review the innovation roadmap, explore partnership opportunities, and submit ideas.

Connect + Develop has contributed to several successful products across P&G’s portfolio:

  • Beauty and Personal Care
    • Olay Regenerist (external peptide technology)
    • Clairol Perfect 10 and Foam hair color
    • Olay Smooth Finish facial hair removal
    • CoverGirl LashBlast Mascara
  • Home Care
    • Mr. Clean Magic Eraser (melamine foam technology)
    • Febreze Set & Refresh
    • Bounce Dryer Bars
  • Fabric Care
    • Tide Total Care
    • Tide Pods (unit-dose detergent in water-soluble film)
    • Downy Single Rinse
  • Oral Care
    • Crest SpinBrush (licensed from Cleveland entrepreneurs)
    • Oral-B Pulsonic Toothbrush
  • Health
    • Vicks Humidifiers (external technology partnerships)

10. Unilever’s Foundry Platform

Unilever launched the Foundry platform in May 2014 as a global entry point for startups seeking collaboration. The platform supports open innovation by connecting entrepreneurs with Unilever’s brands and business units.

 

“The Unilever Foundry will be our single platform to harness, nurture, and evolve thousands of innovative ideas from the entrepreneurial community. It will simplify the way in which small start-ups and entrepreneurs engage with a company of our size, offering an exciting opportunity for the best and brightest to pilot their technology with us.”

– Marc Mathieu, Senior Vice President, Global Marketing

 

Foundry uses a venture-client model instead of taking equity. Unilever becomes an early customer by purchasing startup solutions. This way, startups get to validate their technologies while gaining market traction.

3000 startups had applied to the Foundry by June 2015. Of these, 65 entered pilot programs, and 30 scaled by working with Unilever more than twice.

Foundry also enables Unilever’s 400+ brands to test new technologies. It connects startups to a global consumer base exceeding 3.4 billion people who use Unilever products daily.

The process begins with a brief from brand or functional leaders. Foundry encourages broad briefs to attract diverse ideas, which appear on the Foundry website to invite startups worldwide to apply.

Foundry team enables brief owners to narrow applicants to five or six startups. These teams pitch their solutions, and one or more may enter a pilot phase. The startup moves forward with Unilever to scale the solution if successful.

These pilots typically last three months, and during this time, startups receive access to brand teams, technical mentors, and procurement support. They also collaborate on business development with Unilever’s consumer brands. Mentors work closely with startups to shape brand vision, marketing strategy, and product roadmap.

Between 2014 and 2015, Unilever paid USD 6 million to participating startups, with each brand determining its own budget for pilot partnerships.

11. Iberdrola’s Open Innovation Challenges

Iberdrola uses open innovation to support its decarbonization and smart grid strategy. It launched the Proactive and Entrepreneurial Startups Entrepreneurship Opportunities (PERSEO) program in 2008 to engage with emerging technologies and startups.

The first investment followed in 2009, and in 2013, Iberdrola invested in its first Silicon Valley company, STEM. Further, it introduced the Challenges and Pilots program by 2016 to formalize startup engagement through structured competitions.

In 2020, the company added the EUR 40 million PERSEO Venture Builder initiative to promote new industries and strengthen the energy supply chain. It also utilizes data-driven startup scouting (like StartUs Insights Discovery Platform) to identify emerging companies.

Since 2017, PERSEO has run over 100 pilot projects across Iberdrola’s global business units. These pilots allow startups to test technologies in real-world settings and also provide access to data, operational insights, and potential commercial agreements.

Each year, Iberdrola conducts more than 25 pilot tests with startups. These trials enable it to assess the feasibility of new technologies and identify candidates for long-term partnerships or investment.

Iberdrola had invested EUR 175 million in building a global startup ecosystem by August 2022, which marked PERSEO’s 15th anniversary. EUR 135 million of that amount supported direct investments and venture capital, while EUR 40 million funded Venture Builder initiatives focused on electrification and hard-to-decarbonize sectors.

PERSEO’s total investment exceeds EUR 200 million as of 2025. This includes funding for portfolio companies, venture builder projects, the Andromeda SustainableTech Fund, GED TECH Seed Fund, and other innovation-focused initiatives.

12. IBM Watson and Open Technology

IBM expanded its open innovation approach into artificial intelligence with the launch of IBM Watsonx, an AI and data platform to enable enterprises to scale AI adoption. It was announced on May 9, 2023, at the IBM Think conference.

The platform includes three core components:

  • watsonx.ai: An AI development studio that offers IBM-trained foundation models (including Granite), open-source models, and client-supplied models. It allows users to train, tune, and deploy AI across their organizations.
  • watsonx.data: A data store built on open lakehouse architecture. It supports data gathering and cleansing for training and tuning, with access to distributed data sources.
  • watsonx.governance: A toolkit that allows for managing AI responsibly. It provides tools to measure, track, and report on model development, deployment, and usage to support compliance with regulations.

Watsonx uses IBM’s Granite foundation models for code. These models rely on decoder architecture to predict sequences and enable natural language processing (NLP) tasks tailored for code generation and automation.

Watsonx Code Assistant launched with two enterprise use cases. The first supports IT automation using Red Hat Ansible Lightspeed for tasks like network configuration and code deployment. The second focuses on modernizing mainframe applications by translating COBOL to Java on IBM Z systems.

IBM contributed three open-source projects to the Linux Foundation in March 2025: Docling, Data Prep Kit, and BeeAI.

More Examples by Open Innovation Types

Introduced by Henry Chesbrough in 2003, the open innovation model has evolved into a multidirectional framework integrating outside-in, inside-out, and coupled knowledge flows.

1. Outside-In Innovation: Integrating External Ideas and Technologies

Outside-in innovation involves using ideas, technologies, and expertise from external partners, such as startups, universities, and consumers, to enhance internal R&D and reduce development time.

Example: General Motors (GM) Innovation and External Collaboration

GM applies outside-in innovation through strategic partnerships, especially in electric vehicle battery technology. The company works with external innovators to advance EV batteries, hydrogen systems, and advanced materials.

For example, GM Ventures invested in SES in 2015, beginning a six-year relationship that led to a joint development agreement in March 2021. The partnership improves lithium-metal battery technology using a protected anode architecture.

GM’s broader strategy includes more than individual partnerships. The company invested over USD 5 billion in US-based battery technology and built a dedicated battery innovation center.

By mid-decade, GM expects second-generation Ultium batteries to reduce costs by 60% compared to the Chevrolet Bolt EV and double energy density. Moreover, GM allocated approximately USD 9.2 billion to R&D in 2024.

2. Inside-Out Innovation: Commercializing Internal IP Beyond Core Markets

Inside-out innovation allows companies to license or spin off proprietary technologies to external firms or startups. It allows monetizing unused intellectual property, expanding ecosystem reach, and encouraging cross-industry adoption.

Example: Philips IP Licensing Program

Philips applies inside-out innovation through its Intellectual Property & Standards (IP&S) division. This team manages a broad portfolio of intellectual assets across global markets.

The portfolio includes around 50 500 patent rights, 30 500 trademarks, and 150 000 design rights. Philips files approximately 700 new patents each year. It led European medical technology patent applications with 594 MedTech filings and 1231 total submissions in 2024.

Philips licenses technologies in several areas, including medical devices, lighting systems, digital imaging, and telecommunications.

One example is the LED Luminaires and Retrofit Bulbs Licensing Program, launched in 2008. This initiative offers access to more than 220 inventions and over 1400 granted patents for companies producing LED-based products.

3. Coupled Innovation: Co-Creation through Strategic Partnerships

Coupled innovation blends inbound and outbound knowledge through co-development, joint ventures, and public-private partnerships. This model suits complex challenges that require shared investment and specialized expertise.

Example: AstraZeneca Open Innovation Platform

AstraZeneca launched its Open Innovation platform in 2014 to support collaborative research. Since then, the platform has reviewed more than 1000 proposals from scientists in over 40 countries.

Researchers from 28 countries have submitted over 400 proposals since 2017, which resulted in 150 collaborations. The platform offers access to more than 250 000 compounds, both active and discontinued, for screening. It also supports over 100 pre-clinical and 22 clinical studies that are ongoing or planned.

AstraZeneca announced a partnership with the University of Oxford’s Jenner Institute in April 2020. The collaboration focused on developing a COVID-19 vaccine and combined academic research with large-scale manufacturing and global distribution.

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