Key Differentiators of Open Innovation Platforms â•fi A Market-oriented Perspective

Within the open innovation debate, significant attention has been paid to the fact that customers can be a useful source for bringing new ideas and concepts into a company. In this context, online platforms have become a widely used instrument to facilitate interaction between companies and customers. While prior literature discusses various aspects of open innovation platforms, a market-oriented analysis covering all types of platforms for idea creation and concept development seems to be still missing. By evaluating a total of 44 different innovation platforms, we identify the degree of interrelation between five major platform attributes and develop two key differentiating dimensions: The platform operator (company vs. third party) and the platform purpose (find solutions vs. understand customers). The resulting classification matrix highlights a newly emerging category of online open innovation platforms, opening the field for deeper investigation in future research.