A systematic literature review on intangible assets and open innovation

Abstract

Despite the growing interest, Open Innovation (OI) in Intangible Assets (IAs) research is still fragmented and displays a limited contextual focus. This paper aims to provide a clearer view of these issues and represents a first step toward filling such research gap. A systematic literature review and a synthesis of high-quality contributions with a focus on a general overview of research on OI and IAs in OI processes have been carried out. By critically evaluating the current body of literature and definitions, we have moved a step further toward comprehending the multiple facets of existing research and highlight several promising areas for future development. In particular, we have analyzed the role of IAs in OI practices by selecting a synthesis and a critical review of their different exploitations. We have combined multiple algorithms to produce a clear topical taxonomy of the multiple strands of research lying at the interface of OI and IAs.