Open Innovation in Times of Covid-19: The case of Project OxyGEN
In the face of the health crisis unleashed by Covid-19, experts worldwide took on the challenge of designing a low-cost emergency ventilator that could be assembled quickly. This study analizes the successful case of the Project OxyGEN, led by the Barcelona-based design firm Protofy, which created an industrial-class emergency ventilator and obtained approval from the Spanish Ministry of Health (AEMPS) for use on patients. The project received scientific support from a local Research Hospital, and SEAT, a Volkswagen subsidiary, collaborated in the OxyGEN ventilators’ mass-production. This open-hardware project sprung into action teams in more than 32 countries involved in the collaborative design process, adopted or made an iteration of the technology. These teams collaborated with suppliers, consultants, universities, and research institutes to drive this innovation forward. The case highlights the Open Innovation approach, inter-organisational relationships between firms of different sectors with research institutions, and innovation communities.