Outbound Open Innovation in the Public Sector: The Roles of Intermediaries

This paper examines how the public sector can use intermediaries to facilitate outbound open innovation (OI). Based on a qualitative analysis of three case studies in the public transport sector in Sweden, the paper describes how intermediaries can lower social and technical innovation barriers for both innovation seekers and external innovators. Drawing on this capability, four potential roles in outbound public sector OI are proposed: expanding the boundaries of innovation ecosystems; decreasing costs for distant search and data processing; fostering inter-organizational collaboration; and assisting innovation seekers in managing the innovation trajectory. The paper also discusses how these roles differ compared to those of intermediaries in private sector OI. In sum, the paper extends the knowledge of public sector OI practices, and increases the understanding of how intermediaries can be used to accelerate socially beneficial outbound OI