Motivations, challenges, and opportunities of successful solvers on an innovation intermediary platform

The study aims is to identify motivations, challenges, and opportunities of successful solvers participating in virtual teams of innovation contests (ICs) organized by an innovation intermediary. Based on 82 interviews of successful solvers, it provides novel insights into ICs. The main motivational factors of successful solvers engaged in problem solving are money, learning, fun, sense of achievement, passion, and networking. Major challenges solvers face include unclear or insufficient problem description, lack of option for communication, language barrier, time zone differences, difficulties in finding suitable team members, framing the results, and difficulties in becoming quick learners and team players. Despite challenges, solvers have many opportunities, such as diversified knowledge, learning culture, developing a different way of thinking, gaining insights from other experts, the ability to work in a diverse environment, options of work after retirement and from distant locations, and a new source of income.