The purpose of this thesis is to extract and provide practical knowledge and examples from both theory and practice in order to clarify some practices that can be used in the implementation of open innovation. It can be of interest for whomever willing to gain an insight into the practical features of open innovation and for companies considering, or struggling with the implementation of open innovation.
The study was approached with a qualitative and interpretive method. Secondary sources were used exclusively to review the practical aspects of open innovation in theory and practice. Open innovation practice at Nokia Corp. and the Procter & Gamble Company were researched and reported using studies of other authors as well as the companies’ own publications.
The classification of open innovation practices in contemporary literature is not sufficient to provide an understanding for the various types of open innovation practices that can be applied and used in practice. A classification based on types of activities is presented by the authors, and practical suggestions regarding design and implementation concludes the thesis.