External Partners and Their Role in the Innovation Process: A Computational Review on Current Trends, Development Patterns, and Future Research Directions

There is an extensive body of research exploring the role of external partners in the innovation process. Various research concepts such as open innovation, supplier involvement, strategic alliances, or university–industry collaboration approach this phenomenon from different angles. They all share a common focus on collaboration with external partners to facilitate the generation of innovation. However, despite this common interest, links and differences between these concepts are not clearly outlined, leading to a fragmented research landscape where different concepts examine similar research questions in a parallel manner without cross-fertilising insights. To address this challenge, a computational literature review of 17 research concepts about external partners in innovation is conducted in this study, analysing 7,356 full-text articles. Our study provides an integrated research landscape of 97 topics, revealing a predominance of phenomenological research and underrepresentation of conceptual and methodological studies. Using network analysis, it organises the research field into four clusters: Collaborative Ventures & their Management, Supply Chain Collaboration, Collaboration in Regional Clusters, and Open Innovation Approaches & Ecosystems. Each cluster exhibits distinct thematic focuses, bibliometric characteristics, and temporal trajectories. In particular, our review shows the distinct position of the Cluster about Open Innovation Approaches and Ecosystems. While this cluster attracts high degrees of attention, it also faces the risk of becoming a fragmented research field. Lastly, our study uncovers points of convergence and significant overlaps between the four clusters, especially between the clusters on Collaborative Ventures & their and Open Innovation Approaches & Ecosystems, and derives directions for future research.