Design and Validation of an Open Innovation Model in Knowledge-Based Aviation Firms Located in Science Parks and Growth Centers in Iran
Keywords:
Open innovation, knowledge-based aviation firms, absorptive capacity, regulation, innovative resilience, value co-creationAbstract
The present study aimed to design and validate an open innovation model for knowledge-based aviation firms located in science parks and growth centers in Iran by identifying the key dimensions, components, and structural relationships underlying open innovation in this technologically complex and highly regulated industry. This applied study employed an exploratory mixed-methods design. In the qualitative phase, data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 17 academic experts, managers, and specialists from knowledge-based aviation firms and analyzed using thematic analysis. In the quantitative phase, the developed model was validated through a researcher-made questionnaire and partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) among 150 managers and experts involved in aviation technology development and innovation processes. The qualitative analysis resulted in the identification of eight major dimensions of open innovation: technological ecosystem embeddedness, external knowledge acquisition channels, intra-organizational architecture for knowledge absorption and transformation, trust/confidentiality/regulatory infrastructure, testing and validation bottleneck removal, innovative resilience against constraints, industrial co-creation outcomes, and external circulation of knowledge and technology. The structural model results indicated that all identified dimensions had significant effects on open innovation, and the model demonstrated strong overall fit (GOF=0.425). The highest path coefficients were associated with intra-organizational absorption and transformation architecture, innovative resilience, and trust and regulatory infrastructure. Open innovation in Iranian knowledge-based aviation firms is a multidimensional phenomenon that depends not only on external collaborations but also on internal organizational capabilities, knowledge absorption mechanisms, trust and regulatory infrastructures, and adaptive capacity in response to environmental constraints. Therefore, advancing open innovation in these firms requires a localized, network-oriented, and capability-based approach.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Reza Khosravi (Author); Hassan Ali Aghajani; Majid Ashrafi (Author)
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