Top Five Open Innovation Countries

Last September I posted a list of companies that do well on open innovation and now it is time for an update. Here comes a list of countries that in my view do well.

1. United States

No surprise here. This is where it happens. We have the companies, intermediaries/service providers, top academics and all the best conferences. There are simply too many to mention here.

2. The United Kingdom

This is primarily driven by the work done by 100% Open, a consultancy that also offer interesting workshops and events and the IfM Institute in Cambridge for their research and events. Among other UK companies I like Psion which is gaining traction with their Ingenuity Working community and O2, which recently shared some initiatives that although they had some internal focus also revealed a proper mindset for open innovation. I can also mention Paul Sloane, the editor of A Guide to Open Innovation and Crowdsourcing: Advice From Leading Experts.

3. Germany

I met several innovation leaders from German companies at a recent conference in Berlin and I sensed that many are really starting to get open innovation. Germany also seems to be the place in Europe with the most relevant conferences and events although several of those are in Germany language only. They also have several service providers including Hype Innovation, which does a good job on educating their customers and the community.

4. The Netherlands

I have had the opportunity to engage with several Dutch companies including Philips, which I believe can turn into a great case on open innovation in the near future. Other interesting companies include AkzoNobel, DSM and Unilever. The Netherlands also has several workshops and events on open innovation.

5. Not decided yet

I did not have much trouble with the top 4 countries, but then it got more difficult. I just don’t see other countries that can be singled out as I could with the above countries. I will leave this slot open and have you help decide which country we should add here. Please drop a comment on which country you choose and why.

Conclusion

One question I continue to ask myself is: Where are they Nordic countries? They do well on innovation in general, but they just seem to miss out on open innovation. I hope we will soon see more activity in the Nordic region – and elsewhere of course.

Should your country have been on the list? Drop a comment and “vote” for the fifth spot…

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Stefan Lindegaard is a speaker, network facilitator and strategic advisor who focus on the topics of open innovation, intrapreneurship and how to identify and develop the people who drive innovation