coinnovation

Coinnovation is a collaborative process in which multiple actors—such as firms, customers, universities, government agencies, and non-profit organizations—jointly develop new products, services, or processes. It emphasizes shared value creation, collective problem framing, and joint risk and reward.

Coinnovation often combines elements of open innovation and co-creation. Rather than simply exchanging ideas, participants co-design and co-develop solutions from the outset, aligning incentives and governance across organizational boundaries.

Methods commonly used include living labs, co-design workshops, cross-disciplinary teams, joint research projects, and digital collaboration platforms. These activities typically involve iterative prototyping, testing in real-world settings, and mechanisms for user feedback and knowledge transfer.

Benefits include broader knowledge access, improved market fit, faster development, shared investment, and enhanced legitimacy of outcomes. Challenges include coordinating among diverse organizations, aligning IP and governance, managing data and privacy, sustaining trust, and measuring success.

Coinnovation is applied in technology development, healthcare, urban planning, and public-sector service design, often through industry consortia, cross-border collaborations, and public-private partnerships. It seeks to extend innovation ecosystems by leveraging multiple stakeholders to create solutions that none could achieve alone.