Structural Analysis of Open Innovation Components in the Supply Chain of Strategic Industries: A Focus on the Steel Industry
Keywords:
Open innovation, supply chain, steel industry, theme analysis, inter, organizational collaborationAbstract
Objective: This study aimed to identify and structurally analyze the key components influencing the implementation of open innovation in the steel industry supply chain and to explain the major dimensions shaping this approach within a strategic industrial context.
Methodology: This qualitative and exploratory study employed thematic analysis as the main analytical strategy. The participants consisted of supply chain managers, experienced industry experts, and university faculty members with relevant expertise in innovation, supply chain management, and the steel industry. A total of 15 experts were selected through purposive and snowball sampling until theoretical saturation was reached. Data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews based on nine main questions. All interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed through sequential stages of initial coding, aggregation of similar concepts, formation of basic themes, and extraction of higher-order organizing themes.
Findings: Analysis of the 15 interviews resulted in 225 initial codes, which were subsequently classified into 16 organizing themes. These included strategic and managerial factors, cultural and human factors, structural and organizational factors, financial and economic factors, legal and intellectual property factors, technological and infrastructural factors, networking and ecosystem factors, supplier-related factors, customer- and market-related factors, environmental and sustainability factors, macro-environmental and governance factors, risk management and resilience, knowledge management and absorptive capacity, human resource and talent management, performance evaluation and key indicators, and digital transformation and smartification. The findings showed that open innovation implementation in the steel supply chain is shaped by the simultaneous interaction of internal organizational capabilities, inter-organizational relationships, digital infrastructures, legal and financial mechanisms, and broader environmental conditions.
Conclusion: Open innovation in the steel industry should be viewed as a multidimensional ecosystem capability whose successful implementation depends on strategic alignment, collaborative culture, flexible organizational structures, digital infrastructure, knowledge management, effective supply chain partnerships, and systematic performance evaluation.
Downloads
References
Alam, S. (2025). A Study on Supply Chain System of Manufacturing Steel Industry. International Journal of Science, Engineering and Technology, 13(3).
Askary, M., Makui, A., & Tajik, M. (2024). A Robust Multi-Objective MIP Model to Optimize the Supply Chain of Steel Industry Taking into Account the Sustainability Approach. RAIRO-Operations Research, 58(2), 1059-1091. https://doi.org/10.1051/ro/2024004
Bhargava, A., Bhargava, D., Kumar, P. N., Sajja, G. S., & Ray, S. (2022). Industrial IoT and AI Implementation in Vehicular Logistics and Supply Chain Management for Vehicle Mediated Transportation Systems. International Journal of System Assurance Engineering and Management, 13(Suppl 1), 673-680. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13198-021-01581-2
De Vass, T., Shee, H., & Miah, S. J. (2021). IoT in Supply Chain Management: Opportunities and Challenges for Businesses in Early Industry 4.0 Context. Operations and Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, 14(2), 148-161. https://doi.org/10.31387/oscm0450293
do Prado, G. F., de Souza, J. T., & Piekarski, C. M. (2025). Sustainable and Innovative: How Can Open Innovation Enhance Sustainability Practices? Sustainability, 17(2), 454. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17020454
Gajdzik, B., Siwiec, D., Wolniak, R., & Pacana, A. (2024). Approaching Open Innovation in Customization Frameworks for Product Prototypes with Emphasis on Quality and Life Cycle Assessment (QLCA). Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity, 10(1), 100268. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joitmc.2024.100268
Gonyora, A. M., Migiro, S., Ngwenya, B., & Mashau, P. (2021). Investigating Open Innovation Strategic Alignment for Sustainable Competitive Advantage in the Automotive Supply Chain in South Africa. Journal of Transport and Supply Chain Management, 15, 554. https://doi.org/10.4102/jtscm.v15i0.554
Huang, J., & Zhou, P. (2025). Open Innovation and Entrepreneurship: A Review from the Perspective of Sustainable Business Models. Sustainability, 17(3), 939. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17030939
Kumar, R., Tiwari, S., & Kansara, S. (2025). Barriers Prioritization of the Indian Steel Industry Supply Chain: Applying AHP and Fuzzy AHP Method. Vision, 29(2), 200-208. https://doi.org/10.1177/09722629211065687
Lopez, G., Galimova, T., Fasihi, M., Bogdanov, D., & Breyer, C. (2023). Towards Defossilised Steel: Supply Chain Options for a Green European Steel Industry. Energy, 273, 127236. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2023.127236
Mallett, A., & Pal, P. (2022). Green Transformation in the Iron and Steel Industry in India: Rethinking Patterns of Innovation. Energy Strategy Reviews, 44, 100968. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esr.2022.100968
Mohammadi, M. A., Sayadi, A. R., Khoshfarman, M., & Kashan, A. H. (2022). A Systems Dynamics Simulation Model of a Steel Supply Chain: Case Study. Resources Policy, 77, 102690. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resourpol.2022.102690
Motallebi, S., Zandieh, M., Tabriz, A. A., & Tirkolaee, E. B. (2025). Assessing the Industry 4.0 Strategies for a Steel Supply Chain: SWOT, Game Theory, and Gap Analysis. Heliyon, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e41374
Rahmanzadeh, S., Pishvaee, M. S., & Govindan, K. (2023). Emergence of Open Supply Chain Management: The Role of Open Innovation in the Future Smart Industry Using Digital Twin Network. Annals of Operations Research, 329(1), 979-1007. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10479-021-04254-2
Rakshit, S., Islam, N., & Paul, T. (2025). Advancing Circular Supply Chain Management in the Steel Industry: An RFID-Enabled Blockchain Framework for Sustainability. Annals of Operations Research, 1-27. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10479-025-06673-x
Sharma, P., & Dash, B. (2023). Smart SCM Using AI and Microsoft 365. International Journal of Advanced Research in Computer and Communication Engineering, 12(1), 44-54. https://doi.org/10.17148/IJARCCE.2023.12106
Singh, S., Gupta, A., & Shukla, A. P. (2021). Optimizing Supply Chain through Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI). Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
Sukolkit, N., Arunyanart, S., & Apichottanakul, A. (2024). An Open Innovative Inventory Management Based Demand Forecasting Approach for the Steel Industry. Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity, 10(4), 100407. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joitmc.2024.100407
Viale, R., Etzkowitz, H., & Ranga, M. (2022). Open Innovation and Its Role in Sustainability Transitions: Toward a Research Agenda. Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity, 8(3), 141. https://doi.org/10.3390/joitmc8030141
Wang, S. (2024). The Development of Open Innovation Strategy Model on Technology Firm Performance in Shenzhen, China Siam University].
Yun, J. J., Zhao, X., Del Gaudio, G., Della Corte, V., & Sadoi, Y. (2025). Leveraging Business Model Innovation through the Dynamics of Open Innovation: A Multi-Country Investigation in the Restaurant Industry. European Journal of Innovation Management, 28(4), 1342-1365. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJIM-07-2023-0607
Zen, A. C., Santos, C. A. F. D., Spindler, E. D. S., & Pimenta Alonso, A. M. (2025). The Role of Industry 4.0 and Open Innovation Practices in the Renewal Path of an Industrial Cluster. European Planning Studies, 1-19. https://doi.org/10.1080/09654313.2025.2527349
Zohuri, B., & Behgounia, F. (2023). Application of Artificial Intelligence Driving Nano-Based Drug Delivery System. In (pp. 145-212). Academic Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-323-89925-3.00007-1
Downloads
Published
Submitted
Revised
Accepted
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 1404 Mostafa Zolfaghari, Mehdi Roghani, Shabnam Razavian (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
