Introduction
OSCR is an open innovation project that is being run as a collaboration between NESTA (The National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts) and Orange, in partnership with live|work and Wireless Innovation. The project is based on the underlying concept of “shared risk and shared reward” and aims to demonstrate how corporates can work with partners outside of their organisations on a mutually beneficial basis. OSCR builds on NESTA’s experience of working with British Design Innovation on the Procter & Gamble Open Innovation Challenge, a project that explored open innovation dynamics where hard intellectual property in the form of patents was at issue.
As this is a call for innovations in services (which are difficult to patent), we are aiming for an ongoing business relationship with Orange that can embrace a range of different business models, including licensing, joint ventures or other forms of partnership.
Please note that the deadline for submissions is 23:59 on 6th November.
OSCR launched on October 22nd 2009, when companies interested in submitting ideas could meet with representatives from Orange to further understand their requirements. See videos and presentations from the day.
Responses to the brief will then be submitted to the “Trusted Agent Team” (NESTA, live|work and Wireless Innovation) who will select the most promising to enter the “airlock”. It is important to note that Orange will not see any ideas at the selection stage and will not see any ideas until they leave the “airlock” (Trusted Agents will act on Orange’s behalf). Companies selected to enter the “airlock” will receive funding and support from the Trusted Agent Team to develop, protect and present their idea. After leaving the “airlock”, they will pitch their ideas to Orange who will then have 90 days to decide which ideas to pursue further. After this “right of first refusal”, those ideas that Orange rejects remain the intellectual property of the originator.
Read more about OSCR in the brief.
