The Contribution of Physical Open Innovation Intermediaries to Knowledge Creation

This paper aims at investigating the role of Physical intermediaries as Knowledge creation Contributors (PKCs), particularly when they support the Seeker in integrating new technologies to create an innovative product. The theoretical lens adopted is Absorptive Capacity (AC). Indeed, we are interested in understanding the role of PKCs along the entire path from the Acquisition of a technology to its Exploitation to realise an innovative product. The chosen conceptualization is specifically the one of Zahra and George (2002). Indeed, according to our evidences, in the step from Assimilation to Transformation PKCs play an important role in enabling the transition from potential to realised AC. A PKC acts as a two-sided platform that enables, reinforces and sometimes substitutes the Seeker's AC. In particular, PKC favours the Assimilation of a new technology through the creation of an intermedium, which is both cultural and physical and enables Assimilation as a learning-by-doing process. Again, PKC fosters and reinforces the Transformation capability. By leveraging internal competencies and physical infrastructures as labs, the PKC allows an agile product development process. Tackling complex problems, with unclear contours and requiring solutions to be sought in distant domains therefore means working through successive iterations. The identification of a solution option may lead to rethinking the problem and the product concept itself. The Seeker, many Solvers and the PKC experts are involved in an iterative ideation and critical validation workflow. As a consequence, the AC model itself, to support the conception of a Relevant Innovation, is revised as an iterative process in which Acquisition, Assimilation, Transformation and Exploitation are capabilities that intervene at each new product development run.