Quebec Seeks Solutions: An Economic Development Agency's Role in Local Open Innovation

Abstract

This article offers an economic-development perspective on a new method for local companies to find innovative solutions to their most challenging business problems: local open innovation. Quebec International, the economic development agency for the Quebec City area, contributed to the development of the Seeking Solutions approach to local open innovation, which included the hosting of problem-solving conferences with local research centres, economic development actors, and companies. Looking back on our experiences and outcomes since 2010, this article shows how the development and introduction of this new approach to local open innovation has changed the rules of the game in the region.

Keywords

• collaboration
• economic development
• local open innovation
• Open innovation
• private research and development
• Quebec Seeks Solutions