Workshops
The goal of the workshops is to encourage a collaborative and structured approach to accelerate and make the innovation processes of companies more flexible. We aim to enhance internal knowledge for an open corporate culture and provide a platform for the exchange of best practices.
The first workshop strategy by Oper.Lab took place on April 14, 2023, at the Department of Management of the University of Bologna.
In 2023, it was the first year in which Oper.Lab conducted its workshops.
Together with founding companies and partners, we aimed to explore the realm of Open Innovation through the sharing of local stories and the design of tools and methodologies to be replicated within the company, with clients, and across the supply chain to enhance and drive learning within the local community.
Throughout the workshops in the past year, various relevant themes in the field of Open Innovation were addressed:
- Impact and Metrics of Open Innovation: Sharing practices for measuring Open Innovation and aligning different departments and functions with Open Innovation itself. During this workshop, we delved into analyzing Open Innovation monitoring activities, both in terms of activity and impact.
- Open Innovation Skills: Sharing practices for developing Open Innovation skills. In this workshop, we explored the specific skills required for Open Innovation and discussed training programs or field experiences to acquire them.
- Innovation Ecosystems: Together with Professor Vim Vanhaverbeke from the University of Antwerp, we embarked on a journey through innovation ecosystems with his seminar "From collaborative innovation to ecosystem orchestration." During the workshop, we engaged in a co-creation session with companies on how to build innovation ecosystems that have a strong impact on the local community.
What happens during our workshops?
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In the first workshop, Oper.Lab researchers and companies collaborated through the World Café tool to determine which Open Innovation themes to focus on during the annual journey.
During the second workshop on "Impact and Metrics for Open Innovation", companies and intermediaries discussed the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and metrics they use to measure the activities and impact of Open Innovation within their organizations.
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During the third workshop focused on Open Innovation Competencies, Paolo Bruttini, President of Forma del Tempo, a partner company of Oper.Lab, spoke to us about the skills and winning managerial styles for implementing Open Innovation within a company.
In the "Impact and Metrics for Open Innovation" workshop, the research team at Oper.Lab introduced the Strategic Matrix Alignment, a strategic tool to align various functions and departments within a company around shared objectives and indicators. This tool was later experimented with by companies and intermediaries.
In the workshop where we discussed Innovation Ecosystems, we had Professor Wim Vanhaverbeke from the University of Antwerp as a guest, who conducted a seminar titled: "From collaborative innovation to ecosystem orchestration".
Some of the tools experimented with by companies and intermediaries on the topic of Open Innovation Competencies and Skills. Participants discussed the meaning of competence, identified the skills necessary to implement Open Innovation internally, and explored the connection with the company's organizational culture.