Exploring open innovation ecosystems in healthcare: pathways to innovation and efficiency

Purpose – This study aims to explore how open innovation practices in the healthcare sector can improve collaboration, while also fostering efficiency and quality of services. The analysis focuses on how open innovation can meet healthcare sector challenges and foster the development of innovative solutions through strategic approaches, process innovations and collaboration. Design/methodology/approach – The study combines a systematic literature review, guided by the PRISMA flowchart, with an empirical analysis based on multiple case studies. While the literature review identified relevant studies on open innovation in healthcare, the empirical analysis examined concrete applications of these practices. Findings – The results show a growing interest in open innovation, with the case study analysis identifying six categories, including innovations in processes, adoption of emerging technologies, strategic approaches, co-creation and intellectual capital management. In particular, open innovation practices facilitated collaboration between external and internal actors, leading to improved healthcare service quality and operational efficiency. Practical implications – Top management, through strong leadership and by implementing open innovation practices, can facilitate collaboration between actors in the healthcare ecosystem, coordinating values, goals and missions, and promoting the co-creation of innovative solutions. These will result in benefits associated with improved decision-making, problem-solving, incentivised employee engagement and improved holistic performance. Originality/value – This study offers an original contribution by adopting an ecosystem perspective and combining a systematic literature review with multiple case studies. It identifies six previously underexplored categories of innovation that reshape patient-centred care, therapeutic development and technology adoption, providing concrete managerial insights to enhance healthcare quality and efficiency.