Open Innovation

Open Innovation is underpinned by the belief that good ideas can come from anywhere, so it is worth looking widely and beyond your usual supply chains. Innovate UK KTN has well-established methods for supporting Open Innovation, having run 200+ innovation challenges across the world. Our model allows diverse collaborators to respond to shared industry challenges in a mutually beneficial way.

Introduction to Open Innovation

Our Open Innovation (OI) programme supports Challenge Holders in finding innovative solutions to their key business challenges. This is via a proven process for identifying innovators with promising solutions, assessing their ideas, and facilitating collaborative pilots leading to positive outcomes.

  • For Challenge Holders, the OI process strengthens supply chains, allows quick exposure to new technologies and leverages Innovate UK’s cross-sector networks to fast track the innovation procurement process in a time efficient manner.
  • Solution Providers gain access to large businesses, engage in ongoing project collaboration, receive up to £25,000 in seed funding, and benefit from pitching and development support.

See our current Open Innovation challenges below.

Related Opportunities

Open Innovation challenge: Innovative Products from Millet (and Other High Fibre Grains)

Opens: 01/12/2023 Closes: 29/01/2024

Unilever Kenya is seeking innovative solutions to produce millet food products with consumer appeal and zero waste, using circular economy principles.

More Information

Open Innovation challenge: Valorisation of Expired Paints

Opens: 29/11/2023 Closes: 26/01/2024

Berger Paints Nigeria seek innovations to convert aged paints, and paint fractions and components, into usable paints and other beneficial products.

More Information

This video gives an overview of the Open Innovation Intervention and Open Innovation platform within the Global Alliance Africa project.

Activities such as Open Innovation challenges, Open Innovation collaborations, Documented Case Studies, Presentation and Pitch Training, and New Technology Development secure Innovation Development Partnerships between Challenge Holders and Solutions Providers to address key socio-economic challenges for each country.

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Previous Challenges

Our Open Innovation programme has developed new partnerships, accelerating the penetration of innovation, and increasing supply chain robustness and diversification in Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa.

Our challenges in Kenya include working with:

We’ve launched our first challenges in Nigeria with:

  • Hinckley Recycling to find innovative solutions for second life batteries and creating a Battery Management System. TGI asked us to help find solutions for crop damage by birds, a major source of food insecurity across Africa. In addition, Innovate UK has signed a Letter of Collaboration with First Bank Nigeria to run an Open Innovation challenge with the Bank’s extensive client base.

In South Africa, we’ve assisted

  • Unilever in identifying innovative solutions to promote a culture of ‘reduce, reuse and refill’ for their single-use plastic products sold by small traders and as online consumer goods. Meanwhile, we are working with:
  • Rand Water to discover new approaches to the efficient treatment and beneficiation of drinking water.

Our latest challenges are assisting:

Babar Javed

Our Expert

Babar Javed

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