The intense use of science in products and processes and the highly distributed character of knowledge production put the chandlerian type of firm in a check position, favoring networks and collaborations arrangements. It is largely assumed that information and communication technologies (ICTs) acted as powerful tools to leverage virtual type of organizations and structures. Recently, the open innovation (OI) model gained great attention on the literature targeted to management. Again, in the OI strategies, the ICTs are having a key role, not only as an enabler of information and knowledge exchange, but also as a critical tool to insert virtuality in the innovation process itself. But the scientific studies about the use of OI strategies, and about the role of virtuality in these models, are almost inexistent for the case of Brazilian firms. This paper extends the study of the use of ICTs in collaboration arrangements. This article's objective is to articulate the conceptual base for the study of virtuality in OI strategies considering the different types of virtual strategic networks in which the Brazilian firms are embedded. As it main result, this article offers a proposal of conceptual articulation, describing its central arguments.
technology; innovation technology; networks; open innovation; ICTs
