R&D Alliances and Open Innovation

Abstract

Abstract This chapter takes stock of the empirical literature on research and development (R&D) alliances, one among several open innovation (OI) practices, and identifies opportunities to bring the traditions of research on R&D alliances and OI into closer alignment. Through a structured literature review, a wealth of research is revealed on the antecedents and consequences of R&D alliances and their characteristics, and almost half the sampled articles study R&D alliances alongside other OI practices. The chapter establishes that the core of the R&D alliance literature is rich and fairly balanced. Yet, it also argues that productive opportunities exist to more comprehensively examine the interdependencies between R&D alliances and other OI practices in their effects on performance.