Intel Corporation -- Intel Labs Europe : open innovation 2.0

Around the world, the name Intel is synonymous with personal computers. Since the early 1980s nearly all personal computers, and more recently servers, are designed with a microprocessor based on Intel's x86 architecture. Over the last decade, however, the industry has seen many changes, and current trends send strong signals to Intel that it must continue the evolution of its own internal corporate innovation process-one that has driven Intel's success for many years-or suffer potential negative consequences. The reality is that for almost 40 years, personal computers have remained relatively the same; all had the same open modular architecture originally designed by IBM in the early 1980s. However, the past few years have seen a wave of evolution that includes embedded computing driven by the growth of digital devices like tablets and smartphones. These changes are of major importance to Intel. Instead of using the workhorse standard x86 processor, digital devices today have a chipset optimized for that device's specific application. This hardware change is further complicated by the shift to cloud computing and data centers. Change within the semiconductor industry, and specifically for Intel, is requisite and inevitable. Today, the firm is investing heavily in its future. Part of this investment is an initiative called Open Innovation 2.0, undertaken in Ireland under the umbrella of Intel Labs Europe. This innovation demonstrates Intel's commitment to evolving its corporate innovation processes to meet the needs of today's customers as well as future customers, markets, and industries. It must be said, however, that some technology-based innovation luminaries and academics believe Open Innovation (OI) is nothing new but merely the latest repackaged fad in innovation. In this thesis I evaluate how Intel developed its 01 initiative and then assess the levels of success achieved to date and planned for the future. History will show if OI is a useful innovation tool and whether Intel can maintain its reputation in the volatile field of digital computing.

Department dc:contributor.department

Sloan School of Management.

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2015

Author dc:creator

• Mills, Thomas W. (Thomas Wayne)

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• John Van Maanen.

• Sloan School of Management.

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/99033

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/99033