Innovating through effective collaboration

The successful commercialization of products and services that contribute new sources of added value remains central to the competitiveness of any company. However, a limited focus on innovation restricts companies’ capability for reinventing themselves. Innovation involves much more than technology. It has to do with transforming management to effectively boost results. Innovating in management involves mounting challenges as the complexity and size of organizations increase.

A company’s long-term success calls for the “creative destruction” that Joseph Schumpeter once formulated, that is, the ability to identify and eliminate those areas of the corporation which are doomed to fade out and the need to replace them through creativity and innovation with new activities with brighter futures. This was one of the very first concepts in general management and it is still perfectly valid.

At this meeting we will go beyond the usual stereotypes and focus on how we can innovate in a more effective way and spread the spirit of innovation to embrace everyone within our organizations.

The role of top executives in innovation
- Transformational leadership in innovation
- Catalysts to mobilize a large number of people within the company
- The role of board members in managing innovation

Innovating through effective collaboration
- Undertaking joint innovation projects with business and institutional partners 
- Managing the relationship with partners 
- Win-win focus in partnerships
- Principles for success in open innovation  
 
Organizational solutions to foster innovation
- Organizing for "creativation": creativity + innovation
- Innovation Council
- Fit between Innovation Units and Operating Units 
- Launching innovation initiatives in a broad set of management areas 
- Best practices in organizing for innovation 

Transferring innovation into results: challenges, key issues and management dilemmas
- Buying over and engaging key executives 
- Management challenges (balancing daily tasks and innovation, freedom and order)
- Overcoming hurdles in the change program toward innovation
- Indicators and metrics for gauging innovation
- Managing uncertainty 

Promoting a culture of innovation 
- Values, principles and practices of highly innovative companies 
- What lessons can we take away form these innovation powerhouses?

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Innovation in management is relevant to every type of company, not only technology-based companies.
The Meeting is aimed at business leaders and senior managers of enterprises who wish to bolster their organizations’ capacity to innovate, and in general to the leaders of organizations that make up the so-called innovation ecosystem: leaders of business associations, technology parks, universities, innovation centers and public and private organizations working to promote innovation, venture capital and consulting firms among others.