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Inter-organisational openness in megaproject innovation ecosystems helps stimulate innovation synergies (thereby promoting value creation), but it also may induce opportunistic behaviours such as imitation (thereby destroying value capture). Such a paradox of openness has received little attention. Previous studies have explored the paradox of openness primarily from the firm-centric perspective, without investigations at the ecosystem level. Based on evolutionary game theory, this study models and analyses actors’ behavioural strategy choices (innovating or imitating) in the megaproject innovation ecosystem, in order to understand how the paradox of openness develops in this ecosystem and how it can be reconciled. We find that there are two possible equilibrium states for the evolutionary game in this ecosystem: all actors innovating, or all actors imitating. The latter means that opportunism spreads and leads to ecosystem failure, revealing the consequences of the openness paradox not being properly addressed. A series of factors jointly determine the direction of evolution, and mechanisms such as cost subsidies and innovation rewards can also affect it, providing theoretical references for ecosystem governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

University-industry collaboration is increasing its significance due to the active role that society demand from universities. An entrepreneurial university requires understanding the different rationalities and asymmetries of university, researchers and industry in order to best encourage inter-organisational willingness to collaborate as well as to know the impact of their collaboration beyond the boundaries of their partnership. This paper presents an exploratory and conceptual framework providing propositions to gain a better understanding concerning the factors driving and hindering interactions and the willingness to collaborate between university-industry actors. In addition, this research discusses the relevance of the type of impact (economic, technological and societal) of this collaboration as agents of an eco-system accomplishing innovation goals. It concludes with theoretical, managerial and policy implications based on asymmetries on expectations, benefits, capabilities, norms and actors-agency. Such asymmetries affect the entrepreneurial predisposition to interact and strive to achieve societal desirable collaboration outcomes. A preliminary collective actions framework is proposed. Such framework renders a useful tool for universities, industry and government in the management of knowledge transfer and collaboration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]