InnovationOps: the Next Evolution of Innovation Management
As innovation leaders and teams we are tasked to enable our organizations to innovate at scale. Essentially, that means driving innovation in predictable, reliable and efficient ways- doing it again and again, rather than being a one-day fly. Last year alone, over $2.4 trillion was spent on R&D. Yet 90% of executives are unhappy with their…
How To Nail Your Startup Engagement Program
Engaging with startup communities has become a must for corporations pursuing innovation. But when you set up an accelerator, incubator, hackathon series, or any other kind of startup program, copy-paste doesn't work. You need to create a program that fits your specific goals and needs. And so, how to set up an effective “startup engagement…
Team Building in the Corporate Venture Studio Context
Corporate venture studios offer innovation teams the freedom to operate with the spirit, passion, and resilience of entrepreneurs, all while leveraging organizational resources. However, building successful innovation teams in this context requires careful consideration. What are the key ingredients? During our recent Innov8rs Learning Lab on…
Why Creativity Is So Important (And How to Develop Yours)
Artificial Intelligence, machine learning, and simply the abundance of easily accessible data means that the world is being put on a level playing field when it comes to analytical thinking. We all have the same information and the same tools, so we need to develop skills beyond the analytical in order to compete. This is lateral and creative…
How Corporate Venture Builders Succeed (and Why They Even Care)
Eight in ten surveyed CEOs report new-business building as a top five priority despite recent heightened economic volatility. That makes sense, as every dollar of revenue from new businesses generates almost twice the enterprise value versus every dollar of core business revenues. Still, organizations will need to more than double their rate of…
Viable Innovation Teams
The right people with the right idea at the right time and with the right funding can do wonders. Yet what is considered "right" can vary significantly from day to day, and determining what factors contribute to building a viable innovation team can be challenging. During our recent Innov8rs Learning Lab on Culture, Talent & Teams, Bruno Pešec…
Always Change A Winning Innovation Team: Why Reinvention and Change are Prerequisites For Innovation
The right people in the right place are key to meeting current and future growth challenges. In the current rapidly evolving business environment, staying innovative, agile, and resilient is increasingly difficult for corporates. Without the right people in the right positions, meeting these growth challenges can become even more daunting. Is…
Venture Clienting: A Vehicle for Win-Win Corporate-Startup Partnerships
Being an early customer for startups – rather than investing in them – can boost your innovation impact. For decades, tools such as accelerators, incubators, and CVCs have propelled corporate innovation by granting access to state-of-the-art technologies, business models, and offerings, paving the way for endless possibilities. However, a new…
Green Venturing: The Path to Tackling the Climate Emergency
It’s time to act. Climate change requires less discussion and more action. And corporates are increasingly interested in pursuing sustainability initiatives. The good news is that they can drive growth while tackling the world’s biggest problems through green venture building. However, many struggle to effectively execute on their green venturing…
Unleashing The Superpower That Is Intrapreneurship
Intrapreneurship is a superpower that drives innovation for any organization, waiting to be unlocked. To harness this power, corporates should prioritize people whilst blending innovation and creativity with structure and focus. Embracing the chaos in between is crucial. Easier said than done? Read what Daniel Alexus (Head at Ericsson ONE) shared…
Strategically Engaging With Innovation Ecosystems
Sponsoring a hackathon or having sporadic interactions with external partners won’t significantly enhance your innovation ability. To achieve innovation goals and secure competitive advantage, corporates should learn how to work with innovation ecosystems strategically and systematically. Most fail to leverage these ecosystems effectively despite…
Innovation Project Governance Do's & Don'ts
Despite its importance, innovation project governance is often handled ineffectively, slowing down rather than driving innovation. Innovation project governance is a decision-making discipline for leaders to decide which ideas to pursue, how to allocate the innovation budget, and how to assign resources. Through this process, senior management can…