Extending the boundary of corporate innovation

The corporate boundaries that matter today are the boundaries that define and contain the corporation’s innovation searches. This article examines how innovation can be extended outside the traditional corporate boundary. After identifying several factors that are driving extended innovation ‐‐ and, in so doing, changing the value‐creating nature of the firm ‐‐ the authors present extended innovation strategies for companies in either mature industries (where the industry structure is established( or emerging opportunity spaces (where the competitive structure and industry dynamics have yet to crystallize). In mature industries such as retail, new ideas are most likely to be found in the “white spaces” between companies. Companies should pursue these opportunities through cross‐company alliances that recombine assets and competencies. In emerging spaces such as biotechnology, where the locations of opportunities are unknown, companies should pursue explorative collaborations that emphasize low‐cost probing and learning.