A comprehensive review of open innovation literature

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to pursue a comprehensive review of the progress of open innovation literature. Design/methodology/approach – Using a wide range of literature sources, altogether 293 articles relevant to the study’s objective were identified for statistical analysis. Moreover, contributory articles published from 2003 to June 2015 were included for content analysis. Findings – The study contributes in two ways. First, based on content analysis of the selected contributory articles, the authors shed light on the overall development of the open innovation literature and highlight the findings of significant studies. Second, the authors provide a detailed picture of the progress of open innovation literature by analyzing the comprehensive set of articles. Total yearly publication activity was calculated, and publication activity in different disciplines was addressed. The study unveils most influential articles, authors and journals that have discussed open innovation. The geographical locations of influential articles and authors are revealed. Additionally, frequently used keywords are listed. Originality/value – The authors present a new framework of open innovation research, highlight the progress of existing research and suggest avenues for future research.