Innovation ECCI XII Jan Buijs

1. 1
Innovating can be taught
Prof. dr. Jan Buijs
j.a.buijs@tudelft.nl
Key note speech
ECCI XII
Portugal

2. Content
• Introduction
• Innovation
• Delft Innovation Method
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3. September 16, 2011 3

4. Innovate or die or Innovate and die ?
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Prometheus, 1953
Ludwig Wenkebach
(1895 – 1962)

5. September 16, 2011 5

6. 6
What is innovation?
• A confusing and much mis used concept
According to the dictionaries:
• The successful introduction of something new

7. 7
The problem: what is new?

8. 8
Apple iMac Bondi Blue
(1998 - 2003)
• “Old” computer technology
• “Old” translucent plastic technology
So what is new?
• Color for in home artifact in contrast to grey office
appliances
New in meaning & market
• It is about perception
• It is about sensemaking
• Home computing vs office computing
• The market perceived this as an innovation!

9. 9
My definition of innovating:
• Making leap-like changes in Product/Market/Technology-
combinations for a specific company or consortium of
companies in order to achieve sustainable competitive
advantage

10. 10
The innovative leap is needed
to overtake the competition
Company X after the leap
Competitor Y
Company X after acceleration
Company X
Time
Performance

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Leap like changes on 3 levels :
• Rational change in P/M/T combination
• Emotional change (“resistance to change”)
• Big need for new knowledge

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Two symbols of this leap
Knight Fossbury Flop

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Some contrasting issues to better
understand the problems of
innovating

14. 14
incremental radical
exploitation exploration
routine new
normal different
efficiency effectiveness
obey rules change rules
past & present future & more
control chaos
operation strategy
structured fuzzy
mechanistic organic
prediction serendipity
stable dynamic
certainty risk
management leadership

15. 15
incremental radical
exploitation exploration
routine new
normal different
efficiency effectiveness
obey rules change rules
past & present future & more
control chaos
operation strategy
structured fuzzy
mechanistic organic
prediction serendipity
stable dynamic
certainty risk
management leadership
innovating

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So innovating is really something
different!

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Most important characteristic:
big mental difference experienced
before and after the innovative leap:

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Luckily:
Innovating can be taught!
• Delft Innovation Method (DIM)
Buijs, 1984, 1986, 1987

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Basic elements of the
Delft Innovation Method
• Cyclic model of the innovation process
• Multi-X-team
• Facilitating leadership style
• Strong external orientation
• Use of creativity techniques

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Delft Innovation Model
Fuzzy Front End of
innovation
New Product Development
Muddy Back End
Product Use
Buijs & Valkenburg, 2005; Buijs 2010

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Multi-X-team
• Many disciplines & functions (be aware of down stream & side
stream activities) are involved
• Top management is involved
• No existing team!
• Outsiders could also be important

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Facilitating leadership style
• Process skills
• Help the team to score
• Experimenting (create (mental) safe havens)
• Think ahead, and on the same time be connected to the now and
here
• Stimulate & support

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External orientation
• Broader than just the present markets and or technologies
• More than the usual target groups and or stakeholders
• Be aware of potential competitors
• Active networking
• Own observations and meeting real people is essential
• It is broader than your current business domain
• It is future oriented
• Be aware of cultural biasses

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Creativity
• Divergerence, clustering & convergence (new diamond model)
• Follow the rules of the creativity techniques
• Analogies & provocations can be very helpful
• Important role of the facilitator (see the leadership issue)

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divergerence
clustering
convergerence
New Diamond model
Tassoul & Buijs, 2007

26. Empirical evidence
• 1976 – 1980 TNO Innovation Consulting Group (exploration
period; ca. 50 cases)
• 1980 – 1984 Project Industrial Innovation (testing period; 155
cases)
• 1986 – till now IDE graduation projects (exploitation period; ca.
2000 cases)
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Concluding .....
• Each innovation is per definition temporary
• Each innovation will cause the need for the next innovation cycle
to come
So ........

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29. And if you want to learn how to
innovate?
• Buy the new book:
Jan Buijs, Delft Innovation Method; a basic text on the complex
process of corporate product innovation
• Out next February 2012
• Published by: Eleven International Publishing, part of Boom
Uitgevers, The Hague, The Netherlands
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