If a SME is to innovate openly, it needs external partner or partners to collaborate with. That partners should possess complementary knowledge, in order to help the SME. In other words, SME should choose partners that have relevant knowledge and creative potential that could be used for innovation.

Other companies may be interesting partners since they are also interested in doing business the best way they can. If another company has interesting ideas or technologies that could be used elsewhere, they could be a potentially good partner.

Suppliers, distributors and other partners are sometimes a rich source of ideas for innovation. They do work with the SME, but often have different aprroach and perspective, being able to suggest something out of the standard frame.

End-consumers and customers are sometimes observed as a rich source of ideas for company’s innovation. After all, they are the ones that pay for the product. There are various approaches to immerse consumers, from a simple needs and idea collecting, all the way to including them in the product manufacturing process.