A dynamic open innovation framework to accelerate research and regional development in the Egyptian open University

Abstract

Universities are the main source for developing future creative entrepreneurs and they engage with other sectors in research and knowledge transfers. The changing role of the university is bound up with the broader shift from an older industrial economy to an emerging Creative Economy. Commercialization of university innovation-efforts is essential for creating added-value for the university, the surrounding region and for the whole society. The role of the university has been enlarged to include not only teaching and research but also regional development under the entrepreneurial university concept. Traditionally, the so-called "linear model of innovation" ideas flow naturally from university science and technology that can be commercially exploited and turned into economic growth. The closed innovation loop is a view that says successful innovation requires control. This paradigm causes universities to be self-dependent regarding their Research and Development (R&D) processes. The logic of this view was an internally focused model. This paradigm has turned-out to be insufficient because of many reasons: change from competition into coo-petition or (co-operation); networks replace individual firms; customer and dynamic oriented approach substitute static strategies. But universities are part of a larger economic ecosystem, which works best if the partnerships are open, collaborative and organized around the win-win principle. The new paradigm called "Open Innovation",- can play a vital role in accelerating research and regional development activities by using internal and external ideas, while finding internal and external paths to the market. The Open University (OU) is likely to play an essential role both as a university institution and in the everyday life of citizens. The entrepreneurial role of OU has been enlarged to include not only teaching but also researching and regional development. The OU with its information and communication technology infrastructure has the ability to connect industry and government to formulate the entrepreneurial triangle. This research tries to provide a new dynamic framework that can utilize both internal and external ideas to enrich the university databank with new ideas and enhance the regional development activities. A qualitative research approach was applied to create an in-depth understanding of the framework's components. On-line semi-structured interviews have been used to identify OI methods for knowledge generation, implementation, commercialization and feedback gathered to complete the innovation cycle. The interviews were conducted with twenty members of the university; for instance, Presidents, Deans, Professors and administrators.