Exploring the Outcomes of Sustainability-Oriented Open Innovation: Evidence from the Energy Sector.

sustainability-oriented open innovation (SOI) has gained significant attention in recent years. however, there is a lack of evidence on the actual outcomes of this paradigm across enterprises. thus, this study aims to investigate the implementation of SOI in the energy sector. a thematic analysis (TA) approach was adopted to analyse 64 sustainability reports from energy sector enterprises worldwide. the findings of this study identified five key themes, with three related to the sustainability outcomes of SOI, including “empowering business and Increasing economic prosperity”, “environmental stewardship and conservation”, and “building sustainable communities.” the remaining two themes focused on how these outcomes were achieved, including “SOI advancing measures” and “SOI facilitating measures”. By providing practical insights, this study aims to bridge the gap in the current body of knowledge on SOI.