Building an open innovation model over a horizontal network by applying the open innovation theory on SMEs in Japan. From a case study on Shitamachi Bobsleigh Network Project in Ota City, Tokyo

The purpose of this research was to verify that building an open innovation model over a horizontal network in regional clusters of small and medium-sized enterprises, by applying the open innovation theory, was effective to accelerate the creation of new products. We were able to prove using design structure matrix (DSM), which visualises dependency between various elements that one of the main contributing factors for small and medium-sized enterprise clusters to be able to generate open innovations, was the deepening of human networks and relationships. Next, we verified using a well-being survey that an improved subjective level of well-being of the constituent members was a contributing factor (Diener, 1984; Watson et al., 1988; Maeno, 2013; Maeno, 2017).