Top 5 Open Innovation Companies – July

Here comes a list of my current favorite open innovation companies.

The list is by no means based on in-depth research. It is based on actions, initiatives or shared insights of these companies over the last month or so – and thus what I believe should inspire other companies.

1. GE – for leading the way with a $200 million challenge

GE shows us the future of innovation by assembling a great team of partners as well as the rest of us as they work to solve some critical issues. Their challenge is a great initiative that I will write more about in a separate post.

2. P&G – for addressing language barriers on their Connect+Develop platform

The more time I spent in places such as Brazil and China, I begin to understand the importance of having multi-language versions of open innovation initiatives. It is simply not good enough that companies with plenty of resources for unknown reasons decide not to address language issues. They miss out on interesting opportunities.

By adding Spanish and Portuguese versions to their Connect+Develop platform, which already had a Chinese version, P&G once again leads the way.

3. Siemens – for a report that provides great insights into b2b open innovation

Granted, the report is a few months old, but I still think it is an impressive presentation of open innovation initiatives in a large b2b-focused company.

4. Chaordix – for great insights on crowdsourcing and their free webinars

I will try to add a service or technology provider in this and future lists. This time, I call upon Chaordix as they try to make it easier to grasp what crowdsourcing really is about. Clinton Bonner wrote a great post, Crowdsourcing: Beyond the Basics and they offer free webinars.

5. BP – for sending an important message

Why the heck would I put BP on this list? Well, if we think about it, the resistance and arrogance put forth by BP with regards to the InnoCentive challenge on the oil spill could become a long-term help. The media picked up the story and the message is that companies should not do what BP did. They need to be more open to crowdsourcing and open innovation initiatives.