Community Involvement and Entrepreneurial Outcomes in Sustainable Open Innovation

This study aims to explore the impact of seven dimensions of local communities’ involvement in the context of the sustainable open innovation paradigm on entrepreneurial performance considering a tri-dimensional perspective comprising turnover, innovation capacity (IC), and employability. A quantitative methodology was adopted, applying correlational analysis and hypothesis testing to a total of 296 new ventures based in European science parks. The findings indicate that only the entrepreneurial capacity of new ventures has improved, but not turnover and employment. Also, only years of experience in open innovation networks contribute to increasing the performance of entrepreneurs in their IC, but age and gender are not significant factors. This study broadens the scope of sustainable open innovation by positioning local communities as central actors rather than peripheral stakeholders. It enriches key theoretical frameworks such as Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and social capital theory by emphasizing community-driven innovation. Practically, it offers actionable strategies for engaging communities and guiding policymakers toward inclusive innovation policies, thereby contributing to both academic discourse and real-world impact in sustainability and innovation ecosystems.