Reflecting on the OIS Research Conference 2025

The conference opened with a Keynote by Scott Stern, Professor at MIT Sloan School of Management, entitled “The Private and Social Returns to Innovation Networks: A Marginal Approach.” Scott offered a thought-provoking analytical lens on the value of innovation networks, arguing that the social returns to network ties exceed the private incentives of actors to invest in network ties. The reason is that indirect ties can yield knowledge benefits even for more distant players but those benefits are not typically shared by a focal actor. This divergence between private and social incentives matters because it means that the equilibrium level of network formation and network tie diversity will be too low. In other words, we may not be collaborating enough – and often not with the right partners. Scott also showed that in some situations, the key to unlocking greater value from a network is not with players who have the most knowledge to share but with players who sit in critical positions that enable them to exchange knowledge with others who may not have direct opportunities to trade.

Scott’s keynote not only challenged the audience to revisit their understanding of eigenvalues 😏, but also delivered foundational insights for discussions on how to build more productive and impactful research collaborations throughout the conference. Watch the full Keynote Speech here.

Another conference highlight was the OIS Debate, which brought together leading voices to examine whether today’s models of academia-industry collaborations are still fit for purpose – or in need of rethinking. The debate featured:

• Marie Louise Conradsen (Aarhus University / ODIN)
• Thomas Durcan (McGill University / EDDU)
• Lee Fleming (UC Berkeley)
• Maria-Theresa Norn (Technical University of Denmark)
• Brian Uzzi (Northwestern University)

The panelists drew on both scholarly insights and practical experiences from leading Open Innovation in Science (OIS) platforms and Open Science Partnerships, such as ODIN and EDDU. They discussed how openness can be structured to promote translation and reuse of research, what role data governance and strategic alignment play, and how to balance academic freedom with impact and security concerns in increasingly complex geopolitical contexts. One clear message: the future of collaboration will require more nuanced models of openness – ones that focus not only on technical access but also consider the values, missions, and societal goals of different stakeholders. The panelists also highlighted the important role of academically trained human capital, and that the models of training need to change as graduates increasingly compete with Artificial Intelligence that has superior capabilities to store and process knowledge. As such, the important skill going forward will not be to answer questions – but to ask the most important questions that need answering (“Edison vs. Einstein style”). More broadly speaking, the panelists emphasized that discussions of “industry-academia” collaborations need to recognize that both industry and academia are constantly evolving, and that there are important field differences in how such collaborations need to be structured. The full video of the debate is available here. 

True to its spirit of „walking the talk,“ this year’s conference also featured another hands-on OIS Experimentation Session, where participants engaged in an interactive design exercise focused on rethinking openness in open university–industry collaboration platforms. Insights from this session will feed into a forthcoming synthesis report (stay tuned for another blog post!) and will hopefully inspire both future research within our community and the (re)design of open university-industry collaboration models.

A wide range of Paper Sessions showcasing new and ongoing research projects on the processes, effects, and boundary conditions of openness and collaboration in science and science-based innovation formed the backbone of the conference. Topics included:

• University-Industry Collaboration
• The Science-Innovation Nexus
• Crowd and Citizen Science
• Organizational Design for Openness and Collaboration in Science
• AI and Open Science Governance
• Inter- and Transdisciplinary Collaboration
• Scientists‘ Careers and Contributions

Various feedback mechanisms – ranging from the online feedback documents for real-time collaborative questions and comments to in-depth discussions led by two discussants in each session – provided both food for thought and concrete advice for advancing the exciting research emerging from our community.

In addition to discussing ongoing research on the processes, effects, and boundary conditions of open and collaborative science and science-based innovation, the conference also featured four OIS Cases – ongoing initiatives that practice or facilitate open and collaborative research. The case owners presented their most pressing implementation challenges in a dedicated pitching session, inviting participants to engage in discussions around potential solutions throughout the conference. The challenges ranged from questions such as “How to overcome barriers to transdisciplinary research” in the Cancer Mission Lab, to “How governments can build equitable partnerships with citizen scientists and their networks to ensure fair benefits” in the context of using citizen science data for SDG monitoring.

As part of its commitment to mentoring the next generation of scholars working on the management and organization of science and science-based innovation, the conference also hosted a Junior Paper Development Workshop. Early-career researchers had the opportunity to present ongoing work and receive in-depth feedback from senior scholars, including:

• Pablo D’Este (INGENIO (CSIC-UPV), Polytechnic University of Valencia)
• Lee Fleming (UC Berkeley)
• Stijn Kelchtermans (KU Leuven)
• Olga Kokshagina (University of Sydney & Learning Planet Institute)
• Cindy Lopes Bento (KU Leuven)
• Brian Uzzi (Northwestern University)

Beyond paper discussions, the workshop created space for informal exchange about academic publishing, research positioning, and career development. This peer-supported, mentor-guided format has become a valued part of the OIS Research Conference experience.

And – of course – participants also enjoyed connecting with new and familiar colleagues over delicious food, great coffee, and a lovely conference dinner at a traditional Viennese Heurigen restaurant. For the insiders, let’s move to the unofficial performance indicator of the conference: the Zotter chocolate consumption.

In total, 536 chocolates vanished in under 60 hours, translating to a per capita rate of 9 bars over 2.5 days (although some participants may have boosted the average with true dedication). Top-performing flavors this year included Heidelbeeren mit Zitronencreme, NougatVariation, Pistazien, Schokobiene mit Honigblättchen, and White Crisp – which, by Day 3, had almost reached cult status. And while the discussions were intense, the appetite for Marihuana-flavored relaxation remained statistically insignificant, indicating a high level of energized enjoyment among participants.

Thanks for your commitment to contributing to the chocolate statistics – your input will absolutely impact our procurement strategy for next year! 😊

We extend our heartfelt thanks to all participants, presenters, panelists, mentors, and discussants who made the OIS Research Conference 2025 such an inspiring and collaborative learning experience. Your energy, insights, and openness are what make this community so special.

Save the Date: The OIS Research Conference 2026 will take place from May 11-13, 2026, at Copenhagen Business School.

We look forward to seeing you there as we continue shaping the future of open and collaborative research!

The OIS Research Conference is organized by the Association for Advancing Science and Innovation, a collaborative effort of the core organizing institutions from Copenhagen Business School (CBS), ESMT Berlin, and Warwick Business School (WBS).