Measurement of open innovation in the marine biotechnology sector in Oman

Abstract

National economies are often strengthened by diversification, which is built in turn on a healthy and productive culture of national innovation. Innovation is a complex process, which is difficult to measure in an objective manner. In this work and for the first time, a quantitative measure for open innovation has been developed and validated to determine the performance of a firm within the marine biotechnology sector in Oman. This breakthrough was achieved in four steps. First, the characteristics of the two dimensions of open innovation ('breadth' and 'depth') were identified using a critical review of the literature and a series of pre-tests of a survey design with industrial experts. Second, a quantitative index for open innovation by measuring these two dimensions at firm level was developed. Third, validation of this five-item scale was conducted using the UK Community Innovation Survey (CIS) data set. Fourth, the five-item scale was applied to 22 firms in the marine bio-industry sector in Oman using a case study approach, and was used to rank the firms according to their open innovation index. This analysis shows how Omani marine bio-industry firms could strengthen their open innovation efforts, for example by collaborating more effectively with government organizations and research institutes to thereby boost the quality of their open innovation activities in a measurable way.