Robert G. Cooper's diagram on common ideation approaches

In the last issue of The Journal of Product Innovation Management, Robert G. Cooper, inventor of the Stage-Gate process for new product development, ranks 18 popular ideation approaches according to popularity and effectiveness. In his article called The Innovation Dilemma, it’s interesting to read that he says that “few of the open innovation methods were found to be either particularly popular or effective” before highlighting that “the fact that open innovation is relatively new and is yet to be proven over time“.  He also says that “seeking ideas from outside […] applies best to a handful of industries, such as consumer goods“…

On the very previous page, Cooper cites the Austrian jewelry company Swarowski as “perhaps the most sophisticated and effective front end on their innovation process“.  Swarovski has held a couple of external idea contests, as the presentation below shows. Cooper praises the great diversity of idea sources used by the company to feed their innovation process, as well as the rigourous screening process before “Gate 1 evaluation”.

What do you think? Have you read his article? Do you think his conclusion is biased by his experience? Does Open Innovation still have to prove its worth? I’d be glad to have readers’ opinion !