Strategy+Business - April 30 2003 - Reinventing R&D Through Open Innovation To increase the return on their R&D, successful innovation companies are finding they must complement their in-house R&D with external technologies, and offer up their own technologies to outsiders. R&D at large companies is shifting from its traditional inward focus to more outward-looking management — open innovation — that draws on technologies from networks of universities, startups, suppliers, and competitors.