Fiat Mio: The Project That Embraced Open Innovation, Crowdsourcing and Creative Commons in the Automotive Industry

Description

Fiat Mio: The Project That Embraced Open Innovation, Crowdsourcing and Creative Commons in the Automotive Industry: Abstract

This case study describes how Fiat Brazil developed a collaborative platform that combines crowdsourcing, open innovation and creative commons in order to develop a “futuristic concept car” called Fiat Mio. Over 15 months, the Fiat Mio team managed interactions with 17,000 participants, from 160 different nationalities, and the selection and processing of more than 11,000 ideas. When Fiat Mio was launched in December 2010 at the Sao Paulo Auto Show, hundreds of people showed up to claim the prototype as their own.

Teaching objectives

• To promote initial discussion on the content and process of an open innovation strategy
• To illustrate in detail the different phases of an open innovation process, while focusing on barriers, challenges and associated risks
• To discuss positive and negative consequences that might result from an open innovation process in the automotive sector as well as in other sectors

Main themes covered

• Open innovation
• Crowdsourcing
• Information and communications technology
• Management
• Knowledge brokers
• Marketing
• Branding
• Customer relationship management

Concepts and theories related to the case

• The challenges and consequences of implementing an open innovation process as a key organizational strategy
• The role of a collaborative web-based platform
• The implications of a Creative Commons clause to deal differently with property rights

Additional information

Also available in French and Spanish.

Teaching notes are available for teachers only. Contact the HEC Montréal Case Centre for more information.