The Digital Data Design Institute at Harvard, the Harvard Business School and The Open and User Innovation (OUI) Society cordially invites you to the 21st Annual International Conference, where we delve deep into the realms of Open and User Innovation. This conference serves as a vibrant forum for sharing groundbreaking research, fostering collaborative discussions, and exploring the multifaceted dynamics of innovation from the perspectives of users and open communities. Our aim is to highlight the pivotal role of open and user-led innovations in shaping the future of industries and societies.
This year, we place a special emphasis on understanding the expansive influence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) across all facets of the innovation process. Through a series of keynotes and invited papers, we will explore the transformative potential of AI in enhancing, shaping, and redefining open and user innovation practices and scholarship.
Conference Focus
This conference will have a special focus on the transformative impact of Generative AI (GenAI) on user innovation and open source communities, highlighting its potential to democratize innovation by enabling non-experts to contribute meaningfully to the development of new products, services, and solutions. GenAI’s capabilities in rapid prototyping, personalized solution development, and efficient problem-solving present novel opportunities for user-driven innovation.
Furthermore, we will examine the role of AI in enhancing collaborative efforts within open source communities, automating tasks such as code generation and documentation, and facilitating global collaboration. The integration of AI in crowdsourcing initiatives, improving task allocation, and the quality of contributions through real-time feedback, will also be a key area of focus.
Recognizing the rich tapestry of open and user innovation research, this conference seeks to embrace the full diversity of our community’s interests. While AI’s role in innovation represents a frontier of exploration, we are equally committed to advancing discussions on traditional and emerging topics within the broader innovation ecosystem. We encourage submissions that reflect the multifaceted nature of innovation, including theoretical, empirical, and methodological studies that span various domains and disciplines.
Important Dates
March 15, 2024 – Registration and abstract submission opening
May 1, 2024 – Abstract submission closes
June 1, 2024 – Authors are notified of acceptance
July 1, 2024 – Deadline for at least one author being registered for presentation to be in included in the program
August 5-6, 2024 – OUI Conference in Boston
Venue:
Harvard Business School
Attendee Requirements
Admission is open to academics and scholars who are faculty, postdoctoral fellows or students currently enrolled in PhD programs.