LAUSR

Innovation champions have been subject in various innovation management studies which showed that the existence of innovation champions is beneficial for innovation projects in various ways. However, innovation champion theory lacks understanding at what point in various innovation phases different innovation champions promote a project. By taking a dynamic view on the emergence of innovation champions in the inter-organisational innovation process, we show that it is not important that innovation champions exist all the time in an open innovation project, but at the right time. Furthermore, by analysing science-industry R&D collaboration projects, we provide insights in the innovation champion differences between science and industry partners and in the specific contributions these roles make for each partner.