With Open Innovation towards value-generating ecosystems

This paper shows how small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) may become value-generating ecosystem actors by applying Participation Capability. The data resulted from four case studies. Two industry projects (phase 1) with SMEs that focused on the enablers and barriers of Open Innovation and two ongoing Open Science research projects (phase 2). The results of the two phases are presented in a conceptual framework. The second phase resulted in three competences of Participation Capability: competence in social interaction, competence in generating mutual understanding and competence in participatory work formats. The paper's thesis is that SMEs may strengthen the effects of the enablers and mitigate the impact of the Open Innovation barriers by enabling their employees to apply the three competencies. So-called boundary spanners may play a key role in applying Participation Capability in a SME's Open Innovation process and can support their companies to become an ecosystem actor.