Participatory innovation is a concept that applies to both management and marketing. Essentially, it involves engaging individuals outside the innovation teams to contribute by proposing or commenting on innovative ideas. These participants can be employees, customers, or even consumers unaffiliated with the company. Participatory innovation can be implemented to improve management processes as well as to innovate in the development of new products or services, sometimes referred to as “co-creation.”

While participatory innovation practices are not new—the concept of suggestion boxes in companies or stores is a long-standing example—the advent of the internet and new tools dedicated to participatory innovation, such as co-creation platforms, has revolutionized these practices by offering new possibilities and perspectives.