In the effort to accelerate the development of new products, Fujifilm wanted to go beyond building on the technologies it had developed for the photography industry. The company decided that the best way forward was to combine the widest array of technologies possible, inviting partners outside the Fujifilm Group to share their technologies and perspectives in new initiatives. Fujifilm called its new method of collaborative development “Open Innovation.”
In January 2014, Fujifilm opened its first Open Innovation Hub in its Tokyo headquarters. A nerve center for Fujifilm’s collaborative innovation, this hub introduces the core technologies that Fujifilm developed for photography and other industries and allows visitors to directly experience products that apply them. Moreover, the hub provides a venue for the sharing and combining of ideas, which in turn can lead to the joint development of innovative new products. Since it opened its doors, the Open Innovation Hub has welcomed many interested parties from a wide variety of industries, including those with which Fujifilm had not traditionally had strong ties.
The Open Innovation Hub has been particularly successful in the area of highly functional materials, with many new products expected to reach the market in the near future. In addition, Fujifilm has established Open Innovation Hubs in the US and Europe to leverage local insights and strengths and generate outstanding collaboration and innovative products.