dug 
From news.bbc.co.uk
While most companies keep their most valuable research projects under wraps, HP has taken a different tack. Everything is out in the open and there is a real emphasis on collaboration with universities, government and other industry players. "Open innovation is a very key approach to our work. We can't build everything ourselves," said Mr Banerjee. "We want to tap into the best ideas from around the globe and to bring those ideas to market faster," said Rich Friedrich, who develops research partnerships with universities and government agencies and is also the director of the Open Innovation office. In its report due out on Monday, HP said it has made 45 awards to 35 universities across 14 countries. It will announce a second round in May.
Well, I’m sure there’s some IP-hounding in there somewhere–but still, encouraging to hear an innovator declare an open approach as a key part of business success (survival, actually)