Inovação aberta como uma vantagem competitiva para a micro e pequena empresa

This essay aims to analyze the model of open innovation in the context of micro and small enterprises, showing evidence of how this new way to innovate, based on the search for external knowledge as the basis for innovation, can generate competitive advantage and denote an alternative for the development of these companies. The research was exploratory, since its field still lacks deeper studies, and also bibliographical, conducted through content analysis. The paper addressed the competitive influences of the external environment, the operation of micro and small enterprises, the open innovation model and how it can help them compete in today's business environment. According to this perspective, some of the results showed there is a new pattern of competition in micro and small enterprise, underpinned in the assumptions of open innovation, which can bring lasting innovative benefits.