The second edition of the Open Innovation Lookout has been released, highlighting market growth, emerging trends, and new challenges in measuring impact.
Open Innovation is increasingly establishing itself as a key model for companies seeking to innovate through collaboration. This is confirmed by the findings of the Open Innovation Lookout 2025, the latest report from the Open Innovation Observatory, presented today at Politecnico di Milano.
Conducted by the Innovation & Strategy research group at the School of Management of Politecnico di Milano, in collaboration with Lab11, a Spin-off of Scuola Sant’Anna, the study provides a comprehensive analysis of Open Innovation in Italy, offering updated data, emerging trends, and best practices.
The Italian Open Innovation Market: Growth and Opportunities
The report reveals that the Italian Open Innovation services market reached a total value of €742 million in 2023, up from €696 million in 2022. Despite some barriers to entry for new players, the sector continues to grow and is expected to unlock further opportunities, particularly with the rise of Generative Artificial Intelligence.
Geographical Distribution and Market Players
According to the research, the Open Innovation market is heavily concentrated in northern Italy, where 68% of service providers are based. Lombardy leads the ranking with 36%, followed by Emilia-Romagna and Piedmont (both at 10%) and Trentino-Alto Adige (7%).
However, there is significant growth potential in central and southern Italy, with Lazio accounting for 13% of the market and Campania reaching nearly 6%.
The key players in the sector include consulting firms, innovation centers, technology transfer offices, and intellectual property service providers. Additionally, new models such as Corporate Venture Building and Startup Studios are emerging, with more than 80 new startups launched between 2021 and 2024.
The Growing Role of Venture Building
One of the most significant trends highlighted in the report is the increasing adoption of Venture Building as an innovative approach to launching and scaling startups.
According to a survey conducted by the Observatory:
- Only 8% of companies are unfamiliar with Venture Building.
- However, just 26% have already implemented it.
- Between 2021 and 2024, more than 240 Venture Building initiatives were launched in Italy.
- 19% of companies plan to introduce Venture Building projects in the coming years.
The most active sectors in Venture Building are energy, healthcare and life sciences, high-tech, and artificial intelligence, with AI playing a central role in 30% of initiatives.
Why Measuring Open Innovation Impact is Crucial
While many companies have embraced Open Innovation, the next big challenge is measuring its effectiveness and value.
The report introduces the Open Innovation Balanced Scorecard, a new framework that evaluates Open Innovation impact through four key dimensions:
- Input (allocated resources)
- Initiatives (launched projects)
- Output (tangible results)
- Outcome (business impact)
This structured approach will help businesses track their progress and turn strategic intentions into measurable business advantages.
Conclusions: The Future of Open Innovation in Italy
The Open Innovation Lookout 2025 provides a clear picture of a dynamic and evolving ecosystem. More companies are relying on external partners to drive innovation and remain competitive in rapidly changing markets.
Success in this space will depend on the ability to integrate new models like Venture Building, strengthen collaborations between corporates and startups, and adopt effective tools for measuring and enhancing innovation impact.
Download the full report here: https://www.innovationandstrategy.it/osservatorio/osservatorio-open-innovation-2025/#risorse-id
Watch the full launch event here:
