This case focuses on a Finnish SME, Playsign , which started life in 2007 developing games and applications. The company was successful in developing games, but was not particularly profitable. A decade later, Playsign turned its focus towards developing game-like applications for visualizing urban planning processes. The SME utilizes the experience and knowledge acquired during its founders’ IT studies and further game developments. With its knowledge of developing applications and platforms in collaboration with customers, the company now develops urban 3D platforms for their customers to use and sell on to third parties. While the product development process is already very open (Playsign innovates jointly with customers, municipalities, end-users/general public), the company aims to increase its sales by using joint marketing and to understand better the possibilities of open innovation in marketing and sales.
Open innovation for SME's
