Innovation is the heartbeat of progress, and few understand this better than Tomoharu Hayama-san, a thought leader in open innovation. yet2 is excited to share a few of the many impactful insights Hayama-san introduces in his blog series: “Introduction to Open Innovation: A Primer and Practical Guide“. Be sure to translate from Japanese to English on the top right hand side of the page while using Chrome browser.
The series delves deep into the strategies, challenges, and transformative potential of leveraging external partnerships to drive results. With numerous insightful installments to date, this series is a powerful companion to his book, “The First Book to Read for Open Innovation Managers,” which provides a practical guide for open innovation practitioners navigating the evolving landscape.
In this first blog, we cover some of the many insights Hayama-san offers throughout his article series, highlighting key takeaways that can support and guide innovation managers worldwide.
A Treasure Trove of Practical Advice
One thing separating Hayama-san’s series from other open innovation works is his emphasis on pragmatic and applicable insights. Hayama-san intentionally declares his primary audience to be open innovation practitioners rather than researchers or theorists.
To that end, he tailors his insights to be useable and impactful rather than only interesting and clever. Such an effort makes the article series a great starting place for innovators seeking to implement an open innovation strategy. Each installment builds upon the last, creating a comprehensive guide for managers and teams embarking on open innovation initiatives.
For example, his most recent article discusses embedding open innovation into organizational strategy, rather than operating as a vague ethos or “buzzword.” He illustrates this concept by analyzing real-world case studies, such as a multinational corporation restructuring its R&D processes to actively include external partnerships and crowdsourcing initiatives.
Hayama-san emphasizes the importance of creating clear frameworks and measurable objectives, ensuring that open innovation efforts align with actionable business goals rather than remaining isolated or superficial. By analyzing case studies, Hayama-san pushes his audience to move beyond theory and to meditate on the viable steps they can take to integrate open innovation effectively. Part of the reason why Hayama-san’s articles are so helpful is because of the clarity they are written with.
An Overdue Move to Clarity in OI Literature
The series begins by laying a strong groundwork understanding of open innovation. Instead of hollow descriptions of the merits or history of open innovation, Hayama-san motivates the series by explaining the need for new literature on open innovation. At the center of Hayama-san’s first and second articles are the questions “Why write about open innovation today?” and “Is open innovation effective?”
Noticing that most of the current literature on open innovation is either overly technical or too personalized to be generalized, Hayama-san is writing his article series to provide a full-scale pragmatic view of open innovation that applies to both seasoned and new innovators alike; this approach is a great gift to open innovation literature because of its accessible and digestible style. However, clear doesn’t mean shallow. Hayama-san is deeply entrenched in the discourse around open innovation, a position which makes his articles rich with insight.
Articles Written in the Spirit of Open Innovation
Among the most valuable elements of Hayama-san’s work is his constant willingness to interact with the works and directions of his peers. It’s an attitude that is fundamentally related to open innovation and it is powerful to see it at work beyond business.
Articles like Hayama-san’s elucidation of P&G’s open innovation struggles or comparing his work to Henry Chesbrough’s (et al) “The Oxford Handbook of Open Innovation” makes Hayama-san’s articles well substantiated but also immersed in a vibrant discourse surrounding the best open innovation practices available. Hayama-san’s insights resonate beyond open innovation managers.
They offer valuable lessons for any organization striving to incorporate open innovation practices into their fold. His ability to distill complex ideas into practical guidance makes this series a must-read for anyone interested in innovation. We encourage readers to explore Hayama-san’s Introduction to Open Innovation: A Primer and Practical Guide series and discover actionable strategies to enhance their innovation practices. Let his work inspire you to think outside the box and forge new paths toward success.
Stay tuned for more insights on open innovation from Hayama-san’s articles in our upcoming blogs in this 3-part series!
Read Part 2 in the series: What Enables Successful Innovative Partnerships: The Second Blog of Tomoharu Hayama-san’s Blog Series
Words by Carlos Pichardo
Image by Freepik
