Abstract/Summary

Disruption and uncertainty are distinct but related concepts with fundamental impact on firms' R&D. Management of R&D under disruption and uncertainty has become a critical issue in innovation management. With the advent of the fourth industrial revolution, firms are increasingly facing disruptions along multiple dimensions: technological, market, environmental, and institutional. Such disruptions increase the level of uncertainty firms perceive, bringing about both challenges and opportunities. What will be the impact of such disruption and uncertainty on firms? How can they navigate and mitigate its consequences? In this special issue, we present seven research articles and one commentary that address different aspects of R&D management under disruption and uncertainty in the context of a conceptual framework describing how firms might address different types of disruption and uncertainty through an open innovation system approach.