Attending the World Open Innovation Conference (WOIC) in Berkeley this year was a transformative experience. As a presenter in the Best Practice Track for Industry, I shared my method, the Win-Win Canvas, a framework for creating fast and effective open innovation collaborations. This blog captures my journey, the insights I gained, and how WOIC continues to shape the future of open innovation. 

Besides the conference I also cracked the regional boundaries so I could test Waymo’s self-driving taxis, and even got a test drive in Tesla’s Cybertruck. But that story is in another blog post.

Why Berkeley and WOIC?

WOIC is a unique platform where scholars and practitioners unite to exchange ideas on open innovation. It’s more than a conference—it’s a community. Many participants meet regularly online, creating strong connections that make the in-person event feel like a reunion.

The camaraderie was evident even before the official sessions began. A casual email and an informal meetup over drinks quickly turned into engaging discussions about innovation. If you’re passionate about collaborative innovation strategies, I highly recommend attending WOIC. You’ll find an open, welcoming atmosphere and approachable thought leaders eager to share their expertise.

Conference Highlights: From Circular Economy to Collaboration Strategies

Opening keynote

The conference opened with a keynote by Henry Chesbrough, who emphasized the shift in R&D investments from large corporations to SMEs and startups. In 1981 the major R&D was done in very large corporates (71%) but declined to only 38% by 2021 in favor of more R&D in smaller companies. The most plausible explanation for these anomalies are open innovation effects: large corporations can no longer hoard knowledge due to employee mobility, venture capital, internet and external options for ideas sitting on the shelf. As put by Joy: most of the smart people work somewhere else.

Circular Economy and Open Innovation

A dedicated session on the circular economy and its intersection with open innovation stood out as a key highlight. Here are my takeaways:

• Synergies between circular economy and open innovation: Many companies in the circular economy rely solely on internal innovation, believing they have all the expertise. However, adopting open innovation practices can unlock broader knowledge and access to external resources.
• Beyond the supply chain: Collaborations in the circular economy often focus on reducing costs and reusing materials in traditional supply chains. However, significant potential lies in partnerships that explore complementary services or external innovations beyond these linear models.
• Local impact: Circular economy initiatives often operate on smaller scales, benefiting local businesses and shorter supply chains.
• Challenges and trust: Innovations in the circular economy are seen as riskier and more complex, making trust a crucial enabler for successful collaborations.

For me, the session underscored the untapped opportunities in the circular economy. Companies should explore cross-functional partnerships that go beyond materials and cost efficiency to unlock new value streams.

Industry Practice Sessions: Win-Win Canvas and More

Presenting my Win-Win Canvas was a defining moment. The energy in the room was palpable, and the audience’s insightful questions pushed me to think even more deeply about the model’s applications. If you’re curious, learn more about the Win-Win Canvas here.

Other memorable moments included:

• Vesna Damnjanovic’s BBIC competition: An inspiring presentation on structuring student innovation challenges with meticulous preparation, including testing ideas with alumni before launching the challenges in the actual competition.
• Attabik Awan’s presentation: A creative approach to combining design thinking with open innovation for heat transition programs in Eindhoven.
• Erin Stadler: Our people are our greatest asset and our greatest barrier to success; not everyone is an innovator. At Boomtown Innovation onboarding of new employees is a process that takes af full year to complete, yet we ask trust from day one to take action and contribute to our mission. 
• Innersource by Russ Rutledge: Exploring how large organizations use open-source principles internally to enhance collaboration across diverse teams.

Surveying the Open Innovation Mindset: Aurelia Ingelsberger’s Insights

One of the standout presentations at WOIC came from Aurelia Engelsberger, who shared the results of a survey on the open innovation mindset among conference participants. By comparing the group’s mindset to industry benchmarks for both leaders and experts, her findings highlighted just how open and collaborative this community truly is. As expected, the participants demonstrated a significantly higher orientation toward openness than the benchmarks, reflecting the progressive and inclusive nature of those drawn to WOIC. However, her analysis revealed an area for growth: empathy. By strengthening this critical dimension, we could take an already strong mindset to the next level, enabling even greater success in harnessing the power of open innovation.

Carliss Baldwin’s Keynote on Ecosystems

The second day began with an extraordinary keynote by Carliss Baldwin, who explored fascinating parallels between ecosystems and star systems. She described how innovation ecosystems can be understood in layers, much like celestial systems. You can focus on a planet with its moons, that same planet as part of a solar system, or the solar system within a galaxy.

Her storytelling style was captivating, drawing the audience into this metaphor that brilliantly illustrated the interconnectedness and complexity of innovation efforts at various scales. Each layer—whether individual collaborators (planets), their immediate networks (solar systems), or the broader ecosystem (galaxies)—plays a critical role in driving innovation forward.

What made her keynote particularly memorable was her conclusion. With time running out, her presentation ended on a cliffhanger—a daring move that left the audience eager to know more. It’s the first time I’ve seen a keynote end this way, and it’s inspired me to consider using a similar approach in future presentations if time constraints demand it!

Exploring the Bakar BioEnginuity Hub

After the conference, I visited the Bakar BioEnginuity Hub, a remarkable bio-incubator on the Berkeley campus. The building itself has an intriguing history—it originally served as an art museum before its conversion into a cutting-edge space for biotech innovation. The brutalist architecture remains, but the once-exhibition galleries have been transformed into high-tech labs with bio benches. Retrofitted structures to reinforce the building against earthquakes further added to its striking character.

The hub exemplifies openness and collaboration. Key features include:

• Resource sharing: Startups with unused lab equipment can share it in exchange for free bench space, fostering a culture of collaboration.
• Flexible learning: Training programs aren’t bound by a rigid curriculum; instead, startups can choose courses that match their current needs, ensuring relevance at each growth stage.
• Bay Area expansion: Plans to open a second hub in San Francisco reflect the unique dynamics of the region, where startups often prefer to remain in their respective cities.

The visit also highlighted the parallels between the Bay Area and Flemish cities—each operates on a different scale, but both demonstrate the importance of nurturing local ecosystems within a larger innovation network.

A Few Quirky Observations

Beyond the conference, a few memorable moments stood out:

• At the conference they served a local brand of coffee: Peet's Coffee. Yet for me it almost felt as if they personalized the coffee machine for me.
• The Berkeley campus is teeming with squirrels, and I even spotted a raccoon and a hummingbird in the wild!
• American lemonade? Delicious but so sweet I had to dilute it.
• Pro tip: Invest in a U.S.-compatible cable for your tech; bulky adapters are no fun.

Looking Ahead: WOIC Bilbao 2025

Next year, WOIC returns to Bilbao, and I’ve already marked my calendar for November 5-7. If you’re considering attending or submitting a paper, I’d be happy to collaborate. As a two-time winner of the Best Open Innovation Practice Award, I can provide valuable guidance on crafting a compelling submission. Reach out to me here to discuss your ideas.

Final Thoughts: Why Attend WOIC?

WOIC Berkeley was an unforgettable blend of intellectual growth, practical insights, and personal discovery. From engaging discussions on the circular economy to exploring collaboration strategies and reconnecting with the open innovation community, every moment was a step forward in my innovation journey.

Whether you’re an academic, a practitioner, or simply curious about the future of innovation, WOIC offers invaluable opportunities to connect, learn, and contribute. I’m already counting down the days to Bilbao 2025—see you there?