Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the doing, using, and interacting (DUI) of Universities of Applied Sciences (UAS) while developing intra- and inter-collaboration with industry. It also reviews recent literature related to the roles of absorptive capacity (AC) and social capital (SC) in interaction. Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative case research on developing collaborations between UAS and small- and medium-sized enterprises for innovation activities. Findings – Prior knowledge and contacts vary in organisations, and interaction should be supported while aiming to maximise benefits of internal and external resources available for innovation. This paper contributes by pointing out the importance of the interconnection of DUI, AC, and SC while developing collaboration. Originality/value – This paper describes issues challenging the collaborative innovation activities and directions to focus on structural development to support interaction with parties having different backgrounds, goals, and strengths. The study highlights the importance of knowledge exchange with several universities and firms, and the different learning modes related to innovation.

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Effectiveness of innovation capability development methodsThe literature presents numerous methods and practices for facilitating organizational innovation capabilities. Less attention has been paid to indicating the actual impact of these methods on different aspects of innovation capability. The current study focuses on this issue by examining three methods developed to facilitate organizational innovation capabilities and their effects on different aspects of innovation capabilities. The study uses the multiple-case study approach, focusing on the effects of the Handbook of Innovation, Theatre-based methods, and an Innovation Session on innovation capability and how these effects appear in different organizational contexts. The essential issues related to the positive effects of the methods on innovation capability are explored. The study contributes to the literature by showing that innovation capability can be developed by utilizing different kinds of participative methods.In addition, the study contributes to the current literature by presenting what kind of methods can be used to develop certain aspects of innovation capability and how the development works could be organized.The outcome helps managers of organizations select the most suitable method for developing innovation capability. This selection depends on the aspect of the innovation capability that the organization wishes to develop. The study also presents important issues that should be considered when developing innovation capability.

Recent practical business discussion and academic studies highlight the collaborative nature of innovation activities. Today, almost all innovations are generated in cooperation with others in a systemic world. The role of openness is widely acknowledged, but the dynamics of openness in innovation processes is studied and discussed less. There is a lack of understanding about the open and closed phases during innovation processes. By observing such dynamics, this study extends the current theories from the point of open and closed phases in innovation processes. The analysis is based on a case study on a large Finnish food industry company and its long-term innovation process concerning the utilization of rye fibre since the early 1990s. The results show that it is very important to understand the interaction and the critical points during dynamic phases of innovation processes. Seizing the phases of openness and closure is crucial for successful innovation.

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