Creativity and Innovation Management to Pursue a Circular Economy

ABSTRACT This editorial introduces a special issue that includes articles investigating how instruments, processes and structures in the area of innovation management can support the transition from a linear economy to a sustainable circular economy, with a particular focus on the role of open innovation and interorganisational collaborations. The call for papers also included instruments and processes in the area of creativity management; however, the articles included in the special issue mainly focus on the innovation management domain. First, the editorial introduces the link between open innovation and circular economy, clarifying the context of the special issue. Second, it presents an overview of the four articles included in the special issue. Third, it summarises the key contributions, highlighting the implications for practitioners and future avenues triggered by each article. Last, it suggests future research opportunities. The articles in the special issues contribute to the debate about the relationship between open innovation initiatives and circular economy practices, elucidating the connection with qualitative and quantitative analyses. The findings suggest the positive impact of the open innovation paradigm on implementing circular economy initiatives and shed light on the dynamics shaping this relationship.