Open innovation for manufacturing in small and medium enterprises

This book describes how manufacturing SMEs without R&D department in South-Africa can innovate with less resource. It also describes how they can overcome problems that are affecting their long-term success and survival. One of the solutions proposed is the adoption of Open Innovation Strategy (OIS). The researches demonstrated that an OIS in SMEs with less resource can be effective to help SMEs achieve their goals and create sustainable competitive advantage in the market. The OIS implies internal and external resources sharing with employees, other SMEs, large firms and other stakeholders such as customers and suppliers. This strategy requires changes in the company organizational structure and encourages employees' empowerment, motivating factors and developing program to reward innovative employees. From SMEs to corporations' manager, this book can provide guidance on becoming innovative with fewer resources. It can also be very useful for start-ups as it streamlined the way such structures can taps their most important resources, employees, to innovate and survive as novice in a competitive market.