The inclusion of Wazoku, a leading Open Innovation firm collaborating with global giants like HSBC, NASA, and AstraZeneca, marks a significant enhancement for the Observatory. Stefano Mizio, General Manager of PoliMI Innovation & Strategy Group at Politecnico di Milano’s School of Management, expressed that Wazoku’s membership is a major boost for the initiative.

"Wazoku, with its unparalleled expertise in global Open Innovation programmes and a rich history of working with Italian organisations such as Enel and Angelini Pharma, brings a unique value to the Observatory," he said. "Open Innovation is integral to accelerating and optimising corporate innovation, but navigating through it can be complex. We are thrilled to welcome Wazoku to the Observatory, where it can help unlock that complexity for Italian organisations.”

The Italian Open Innovation Lookout 2024 report estimated that Italian Open Innovation is worth almost €700 million. This was the first major mapping of the protagonists active in the Open Innovation market in Italy, identifying and analysing them in terms of services offered, business models, and market value.

“We see Italy as one of the great markets for Open Innovation and are truly excited to be a member of the observatory,” said Marianna Canino, Director of Customer Success, EMEA, Wazoku. “We want to help Italian companies to innovate, and bring with us more than 20 years’ experience and expertise in delivering open innovation programmes. It's exciting to see how the Italian market is increasingly aware of the potential that comes from tapping into a larger and more diverse crowd.”

Wazoku offers five products – Foresight, Platform, Crowd, Portal, and Scout – designed to help organisations crowdsource, capture, and manage ideas from various networks, including employees, customers, and partners, as well as the broader Wazoku Crowd. This extensive Open Innovation network comprises 700,000 expert problem solvers, ranging from scientists and engineers to CEOs and startup leaders, boasting an impressive 80%+ success rate in tackling over 2,500 global challenges.

Wazoku’s solutions leverage crowdsourcing and AI to unlock innovation potential, tapping into hidden data sets and seamlessly integrating with broader innovation ecosystems. This approach empowers organisations to drive forward-thinking initiatives and achieve remarkable problem-solving outcomes.

“There has been a major increase in awareness of Open Innovation in Italy, with sectors such as pharma and energy needing to show they are driven by innovation for the good of society,” continued Marianna Canino, Wazoku. “Our customers accelerate research, discovery and knowledge - a process we call Total Innovation – and we look forward to sharing this expertise with Italian organisations and helping them address a wide range of business, technological and societal challenges."