Open Innovation and Startup Partnerships: Corporate-Startup Collaboration – Dubai, 22–26 Feb 2027

Programme overview

Technical depth: Conceptual · Practical mode: Case study

Introduction

Few organisations can develop every technology and capability they need in-house, yet many startup partnerships end as publicity pilots that never reach operations. Procurement rules, intellectual property disputes and slow internal decisions push the most capable startups towards faster partners. This course from Core Concept equips senior leaders to set an open innovation strategy and govern startup partnerships, from scouting and challenge programmes to pilots, venture client contracts and ecosystem alliances. Participants apply each model to multi-sector cases and leave with an Open Innovation Partnership Playbook for their organisation.

Course Objectives

• Define an open innovation strategy that states which problems, capabilities and markets call for external partners, using Chesbrough's inbound, outbound and coupled processes
• Select the startup engagement model that fits each objective, from challenges and accelerators to pilots, venture client contracts and equity stakes
• Establish partnership governance and intellectual property positions consistent with ISO 56003 and ISO 56005
• Assess startup maturity and partnership risk using Technology Readiness Levels, due diligence checklists and pilot success criteria
• Remove the internal barriers that stall pilots, including procurement, security review and business unit adoption
• Present an Open Innovation Partnership Playbook that an executive team can adopt

Target Audience

• Executives accountable for innovation strategy and external growth partnerships
• Heads of innovation, strategy and corporate development managing startup relationships
• Business unit leaders who sponsor pilots and adopt external solutions
• Procurement, legal and technology leaders who approve partnership contracts and integration
• Leaders of research, technology and digital functions working with universities and ecosystems

Course Outline

Day 1: Open Innovation Foundations and Ecosystem Context

• Closed Versus Open Innovation: Chesbrough's Paradigm
• Inbound, Outbound and Coupled Open Innovation Processes
• Innovation Ecosystem Mapping with the Triple Helix Model
• Open Innovation Maturity Self-Assessment
• Strategic Intelligence Scanning Aligned to ISO 56006

Day 2: Partnership Models and Standards

• ISO 56003 Partnership Framework: Partner Selection, Alignment and Interaction
• Startup Engagement Spectrum: Challenges, Accelerators, Pilots and Equity
• Venture Client Model and Proof-of-Concept Procurement
• Corporate Accelerator and Incubator Programme Design
• University and Research Collaboration Agreements

Day 3: Scouting, Selecting and Piloting

• Problem Statement Canvas for Open Innovation Challenges
• Startup Scouting Funnel and Selection Scorecard
• Technology Readiness Levels for Startup Maturity Assessment
• Pilot Charter: Scope, Success Criteria and Decision Date
• Business Unit Sponsor and Adoption Owner Model

Day 4: Intellectual Property, Risk and Scaling

• IP Ownership and Licensing Positions Aligned to ISO 56005
• Startup Due Diligence Checklist: Financial, Technical and Security
• Partnership Risk Register and Exit Clauses
• Pilot-to-Scale Barriers: Procurement, Integration and Security Review
• Open Innovation Portfolio Metrics and Partnership Health Checks

Day 5: Case Work and the Open Innovation Partnership Playbook

• Energy Sector Case Study: Scaling a Startup Pilot Across Sites
• Retail Banking Case Study: Resolving an IP Dispute with a Startup Partner
• Engagement Model Selection Matrix for an Own Organisation
• Open Innovation Partnership Playbook Drafting
• Executive Review Panel and Playbook Defence

Skills You Will Gain

• Open Innovation Strategy
• Innovation Ecosystem Development
• Startup Engagement Governance
• Partnership Risk Oversight
• Intellectual Property Stewardship
• Pilot Portfolio Oversight
• Cross-Organisational Collaboration

Why Attend This Course

• Return with an Open Innovation Partnership Playbook for an own organisation, already tested by an executive review panel
• Decide faster which problems justify an external partner and which engagement model suits each one
• Anticipate the procurement, legal and adoption barriers that turn promising pilots into dead ends
• Compare partnership practice with executives from different sectors and countries

Conclusion

Open innovation creates value only when partnerships move from announcement to operation. The course progresses from the open innovation paradigm and ecosystem mapping, through the partnership standards and engagement models, to scouting, piloting, intellectual property and the barriers that stop pilots from scaling. The final day brings this together in an Open Innovation Partnership Playbook that participants take back to their executive team, giving them a consistent basis for choosing partners, structuring agreements and deciding which pilots deserve further investment.