Open innovation in the manufacturing industry: a review and research agenda

In today's competitive world, globalization touches all industries. The open innovation (OI) paradigm has garnered increasing importance in academic research and industrial applications. Considering this interest, this paper aims to synthetize up-to-date findings, outline the intellectual structure of OI within the manufacturing research domain, and suggest a future research agenda. Building upon the content analysis of 239 articles indexed in Web of Science and Scopus databases, using homogeneity analysis by means of alternating least squares (HOMALS), this study reveals the theoretical underpinnings, research trends, and methodologies of this research field. Our analysis revealed that the study of sustainability, commitment-based human resource practices, and Industry 4.0 (I40) represent important future research streams for OI in the manufacturing industry. In collaborating throughout the supply chain, manufacturing firms could minimize production waste, ensure better working conditions, and adapt business models. In the “new normal” posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, it is more important than ever to study the effects of managerial competencies, employee training and development, and reward systems on open cultures in manufacturing firms. This study goes on to outline research opportunities in I40, particularly regarding knowledge exchange and technology transfer among partners and OI's influence on the adoption of I40 technologies.