Innovation Capability

Key factor for the future competitiveness of a company

In an era of faster competition and digitization, companies must increase their innovation capability. They need to develop innovation strategies that enable them to initiate and implement innovation projects that differ greatly in nature, speed and degree of innovation. Many companies fail to achieve this.

In six years of scientific research, Innolytics® Managing Director Dr. Jens-Uwe Meyer has examined the innovative capacity of companies and identified the most important factors. The results were presented at the International ISPIM conference on innovation in Montreal/Canada and published in the study „Strengthening Innovation Capacity“. In this article you will get to know the most important scientifically founded factors.

Innovation Capacity innovation culture

The study on the innovative capacity of companies can be downloaded free of charge.

What is innovation capability?

In both scientific literature and practice, concepts such as the ability to innovate, innovation culture, innovation climate and organisational creativity are used. It doesn’t seem easy to keep these terms apart. So, what is innovation capability?

In his scientific work, Dr. Jens-Uwe Meyer defines the term thusly:

The ability of a company to exploit the individual creativity of its employees by creating social environments to develop ideas and implement innovations of different degrees of innovation.

Innovation capability is an essential prerequisite for efficient idea management and innovation management, as well as for the implementation of disruptive innovations. The innovation process can be slow and cumbersome when a company’s ability to innovate is low. However, the same process can be extremely efficient if the company is highly innovative.

In the face of digitalisation, companies need a process in which to move from brainstorming and idea generation to the systematic development of ideas for distribution.

Companies with a low innovation capability often struggle with internal innovation barriers. The innovation culture is also not pronounced. In this keynote by Dr. Jens-Uwe Meyer you will learn how these barriers work and how to implement innovations more efficiently.

Innovation capability of companies

Increasing a company’s ability to innovate means developing the right framework conditions to achieve innovation goals. This has measurable advantages: Companies can develop future strategies that are based on the cultural strengths of business units. This allows strategies to be implemented more efficiently. Innovation projects are more successful because innovation teams work in an environment that actively supports the development of new ideas. Innolytics® helps companies to increase their innovation capability through the use of state-of-the-art innovation management software.

Increasing innovation capability goes far beyond the implementation of innovation processes. In our study, you will find out which factors of the innovation culture influence a company’s ability to innovate. You will learn about different degrees of innovation capability that enable companies to implement different types of innovation. And you will receive in-depth knowledge about the effects of hidden innovation barriers and how you can overcome them.

innovation capability

Get an overview of how you can increase your company’s ability to innovate in the free study.

Measuring your innovation capability

Innovation capability can be measured through in-depth analysis. As a provider, Innolytics AG conducts innovation audits for companies. They gain a deep insight into a company’s innovation strategy, projects, and culture.

  • You will find out what degree of innovation skills you already have, and how you can increase the speed, quality and quantity of your innovation projects.

  • You will find out which types of innovation your business units are currently focused on.

  • You will develop innovation strategies that will allow you to drive incremental and radical innovation at the same time.

  • You will identify the hidden obstacles that are currently hampering innovation in your team, department, and company as a whole.

measuring innovation capability

Innovation capability is measured on the basis of almost 300 scientific studies and the experience gained from more than 100 practical projects. The instrument was developed following six years of research. The evaluation makes it possible to develop effective approaches for increasing innovation skills.

The measurement analyses all relevant factors that influence the innovative skills of a company or business unit. Dr. Jens-Uwe Meyer’s model is based on a scientific evaluation of 14 category systems, including the KEYS model of the American Harvard University. The categories and items were validated by almost 300 further international studies.

The organisational level of innovation capability

The strategies and value system of a company or business unit are analysed to discover the extent they promote innovative thinking and innovative action.

The employee and team level of innovation capability

The composition of teams and the incentive system to which team members are subject are judged based upon the extent to which they enable certain degrees of innovation to be better or worse.

The management level of innovation capability

Management styles, structures and resources are questioned and evaluated. Do the management culture, existing structures and resources match the challenges facing a company or business unit?

The environmental level of innovation capability

The culture of risk, internal communication structures and working atmosphere are also analysed and scrutinized to find out to what extent they allow thinking and acting outside existing boundaries.

The study on the innovation capacity of companies – as a free download

In our study you will discover how to systematically increase the innovative capacity of your company. You will learn about the different degrees of innovation ability represented by so-called “innovation types”. You will also uncover strategies to systematically increase the innovative capacity of your department or team.

Innovation Capacity innovation culture

The study on the innovative capacity of companies can be downloaded free of charge.

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