Innovationsfunktioners roll vid innoavtiv produktutveckling

Purpose and goal

The project took as a starting point innovation initiatives as a way of studying and understanding the prerequisites for more innovative product development. The object of analysis was not the product development process but the early work on deviating from current offers in the firm. Our focus was on large established firms and their efforts to become innovative. We chose to focus on two kinds of initiatives, A innovation functions, and B idea management systems. The project has reached its goals in terms of data collection and focus; analysis, writing and reporting is still ongoing.

Results and expected effects

We see several efforts in order to improve the prerequisites for innovative product development (PD): Establishing an innovation function with the assignment: To do and develop cognitions, few people in the group. The emergence of `Agenda developers´ HR Inititives (roles) Organizing systematic idea/innovation jams and idea contests We see typical activities: Innovation portfolios (green houses) Idea jams (drive cultural change) Building internal networks Communication diffusing knowledge internally Lobbying, politics, language Building external networks

Approach and implementation

We have performed two distinct but related studies (in total 23 interviews). In the study of innovation functions we have studied six Swedish corporations and in the idea management system study nine firms participated. In the innovation function study we have interviewed people responsible for the innovation functions and key stakeholders relating to the function. The interviewees in the idea management study were or had been directly involved in the organization of the idea management activities.