TY - JOUR T1 - The Impact of Living Lab Methodology on Open Innovation Contributions and Outcomes JF - Technology Innovation Management Review Y1 - 2016 A1 - Dimitri Schuurman A1 - Lieven De Marez A1 - Pieter Ballon KW - collaboration KW - distributed innovation KW - entrepreneur KW - Innovation management KW - living labs KW - Open innovation KW - SME KW - startup KW - user innovation KW - user involvement AB - Open innovation scholars as well as practitioners are still struggling with the practical implementation of open innovation principles in different contexts. In this article, we explore the value of a living lab approach for open innovation in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Using a case study approach, we compared 27 SME projects conducted by iMinds Living Labs from 2011 to 2015. The results suggest that a real-life intervention and a multi-method approach – both of which are methodological characteristics of living lab projects – increase the chance of generating actionable user contributions for the innovation under development. Moreover, the results also suggest that a living lab project yields maximal value when evolving from concept towards prototype. Besides these exploratory findings, this article also demonstrates that living lab projects are a perfect "playground" to test and validate assumptions from the open innovation literature. PB - Talent First Network CY - Ottawa VL - 6 UR - http://timreview.ca/article/956 IS - 1 U1 - iMinds and Ghent University Dimitri Schuurman holds a PhD (2015) and Master's degree in Communication Sciences (2003) from Ghent University in Belgium. He joined the research group iMinds – MICT – Ghent University in Belgium in 2005 and started working at iMinds Living Labs in 2009. Together with his iMinds colleagues, Dimitri developed a specific living lab offering targeted at startups and SMEs, in which he has managed over 50 innovation projects. As a senior researcher, Dimitri is currently responsible for the methodology and academic valorization of living lab projects. He also coordinates a dynamic team of living lab researchers from iMinds – MICT – Ghent University. His main interests and research topics are situated in the domains of open innovation, user innovation, and innovation management. In early 2015, he finished his PhD entitled Bridging the Gap between Open and User Innovation? Exploring the Value of Living Labs as a Means to Structure User Contribution and Manage Distributed Innovation. U2 - iMinds and Ghent University Lieven De Marez is Head of the research group for Media & ICT (MICT) and Manager of iMinds Living Labs media activities at Ghent University in Belgium. He has obtained a Master in Communication Sciences (1999) and Marketing (2000) and wrote a PhD titled Diffusion of ICT Innovations: More Accurate User Insight for Better Introduction Strategies. His main expertise is in the development of "segmentation forecast" tools for prior-to-launch adoption potential forecasts for new media and ICT innovations. He continuously seeks to explore new methodologies and understand emerging media use patterns and the impact of new media and ICT and making media innovation more user-centric. At the department of Communication Studies, he founded and coordinates the Master's program on New Media & Society. U3 - European Network of Living Labs Pieter Ballon is the International Secretary of the European Network of Living Labs (ENoLL). He specializes in business modelling, open innovation, and the mobile telecommunications industry. Formerly, he was Senior Consultant and Team Leader at TNO. From 2006 to 2007, he was the coordinator of the cross issue on business models of the Wireless World Initiative (WWI) that united five integrated projects in the EU 6th Framework Programme. He holds a PhD in Communication Sciences and an MA in Modern History. ER -