This paper investigates whether small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the Netherlands engage in open innovation practices and whether there is a trend towards increased adoption of open innovation. Drawing on a survey of 605 innovative SMEs, the study explores the incidence and trend of open innovation, the motives behind its adoption, and the challenges SMEs face in implementing open innovation. The findings indicate that SMEs engage in many open innovation practices and have increasingly adopted such practices over the past 7 years. There are no major differences between manufacturing and service industries, but medium-sized firms are more heavily involved in open innovation than smaller firms. The primary motives for open innovation among SMEs are market-related, such as meeting customer demands and keeping up with competitors. The main challenges relate to organizational and cultural issues due to increased external contacts. The study also finds that open innovation is not exclusive to multinational enterprises but is increasingly adopted by SMEs. The paper concludes that open innovation is relevant and present in business life, applying not only to MNEs but also to a broader range of SMEs. The study highlights the importance of user innovation and external networking in SMEs, while noting that practices such as IP licensing, venturing, and external participation are less common. The findings suggest that open innovation is becoming more prevalent among SMEs, with a growing trend towards its adoption.This paper investigates whether small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the Netherlands engage in open innovation practices and whether there is a trend towards increased adoption of open innovation. Drawing on a survey of 605 innovative SMEs, the study explores the incidence and trend of open innovation, the motives behind its adoption, and the challenges SMEs face in implementing open innovation. The findings indicate that SMEs engage in many open innovation practices and have increasingly adopted such practices over the past 7 years. There are no major differences between manufacturing and service industries, but medium-sized firms are more heavily involved in open innovation than smaller firms. The primary motives for open innovation among SMEs are market-related, such as meeting customer demands and keeping up with competitors. The main challenges relate to organizational and cultural issues due to increased external contacts. The study also finds that open innovation is not exclusive to multinational enterprises but is increasingly adopted by SMEs. The paper concludes that open innovation is relevant and present in business life, applying not only to MNEs but also to a broader range of SMEs. The study highlights the importance of user innovation and external networking in SMEs, while noting that practices such as IP licensing, venturing, and external participation are less common. The findings suggest that open innovation is becoming more prevalent among SMEs, with a growing trend towards its adoption.