Using innovation contests to promote the development of generic technologies
Résumé
Many technology firms organize innovation contests to discover ideas for new goods, services, and business models. This article investigates an innovation contest during its early phases regarding designing generic technologies. Generic technologies empower the design of several technological applications for multiple markets, create value across several domains, and contribute to the disruption of existing industries. Actors involved in generic technology innovation contests are confronted with double uncertainties in which the scopes of both technologies and markets are uncertain. Based on in-depth analysis of a case study conducted at a leading semiconductor manufacturer, STMicroelectronics, findings describe various phases of generic technology innovation contests, highlighting how such phases support generic potential of ideas to obtain technological platforms. Implications for innovation contests in high-tech environments are discussed.