A recurring virtual roundtable where IRI members compare notes on external partnerships, co-development, and open innovation practice. One signup covers every session in the series. Sessions run about an hour and are held virtually. Sign up once and you’re registered for the full series — a calendar invitation is emailed for each session, and your calendar updates automatically if a time changes.
Session Topics
July 15, 2026 — When and How Partnerships Evolve Beyond Transactions
Many organizations continue to approach external partnerships through transactional models focused on technology transfer or short-term problem solving. While these approaches deliver incremental gains, they can fall short of unlocking the full value of open innovation. How can organizations design and manage external partnerships, so they move beyond transactional technology transfer into co-development relationships that create measurable value for both sides? How do organizations decide when that shift is worth making? In this session, members will discuss how to structure and manage more effective co-development partnerships.
August 19, 2026 — Effective Cross-Organizational Coordination and Visibility
Fragmented processes can create frictions and missed opportunities to fully leverage the potential of partnerships. When collaboration is spread across disconnected systems, teams, and communication channels, delays and inefficiencies often follow. How are organizations initiating and coordinating work with external partners? Which steps in that process are most challenging or inefficient? In this session, members will discuss pain points in partnership workflows and explore how to streamline coordination, enhance visibility, and strengthen collaboration.
September 16, 2026 — Building Consensus Around Technology Strategy (Joint with Innovation Excellence)
Without a clear strategy for which internal or external technologies to pursue, when to advance them, and why they matter to the business, even promising opportunities can stall. How do organizations build and maintain internal consensus and buy-in when pursuing technologies from early exploration to execution? What approaches help teams move from fragmented perspectives to shared direction? In this joint session between the Innovation Excellence and Open Innovation roundtables, members will share how they align internal teams around innovation efforts, from defining clear technology strategies to integrating stakeholders into governance processes.
