Open Innovation And Its Role In A Nano-Enabled Solar Industry

While nano-enabled solar technology promises to deliver a new generation of lighter, more efficient, more versatile photovoltaics, the companies developing these technologies are failing.  A different approach to innovation may be of use here. Open Innovation is a process of collaborative development wherein intellectual property is distributed freely, accelerating the innovation process. Open innovation has made substantial contributions to information technology and has created complex and valuable software, largely using volunteer labor. We explore the possibility that open innovation may help solve problems faced by the solar industry, particularly nano-solar startups. We examine publications of open source hardware communities and consider whether their development resembles that of the better studied open source software communities. We also conduct interviews with industry leaders in nano-solar to determine whether principles which have lead to success through open innovation in other industries are being applied. Our interviews reveal a closed, vertically integrated approach to R&D currently dominating the industry. Strong IP protection, trade secrecy, and reliance on private, short-term venture capital charcterize the industry.  Preliminary findings suggest that an open innovation approach may have the potential to accelerate the development and  application of nano-solar and related technologies, and that further study is warranted.