Open innovation is a methodology to design and implement solutions collaboratively by engaging all stakeholders in an iterative and inclusive service design process. It has received growing recognition as a strategy to develop more inclusive, bottom up and impactful services that address complex challenges. Practitioners – such as city planners, national governments, and other stakeholders – are still exploring how these open innovation methodologies can be refined beyond broad concepts and translated into practical and sustainable policies and activities that improve service delivery in countries and municipalities.

Together with municipal and country leaders, the World Bank is pioneering and validating open innovation approaches in countries including Chile, Colombia, Egypt, and Lebanon. These activities leverage open innovation to develop tangible and actionable opportunities for government practitioners to work together with citizens to tackle intractable challenges in issues ranging from urban and governance to mobility and water. At the same time, innovation hubs like those in Finland, the Republic of Korea, Spain, and others are advancing the discourse of open innovation by applying it in cities to support entrepreneurship and build creative confidence among diverse stakeholders ranging from governments to academia.

On May 26, join these practitioners in a seminar that will demonstrate these case stories and explain how they developed a practical blueprint to leverage open innovation to address urban challenges, support entrepreneurship, and encourage inclusive development in cities and countries. Speakers will include government representatives from Chile, leaders from innovation hubs in Barcelona and Helsinki, and World Bank practitioners who are using open innovation approaches in their activities.

*External registration for the event is now closed