Why do we need to change our thinking about innovation?

I have been arguing in recent posts about the need to change how we approach innovation. We need to think about designs around innovation ecosystems.

In a series that builds the argument so far, I have provided the essential context within this post” Please, we need a different innovation narrative” followed by “Building out our innovation ecosystem in design and thinking.”

My personal energy is drawn from all the challenges we face, looking to help find solutions.

We must promote more dynamic environments and the constant desire that organizations and their people have to be fit for innovating purposes, adaptive and fluid in such highly challenging and confusing times.

Achieving this innovation ecosystem thinking does require a profound shift in how innovation is viewed and approached in the business landscape today and in the future.

To solve the more complex challenges we face today, we need to build sustaining, lasting impact in what we offer in future. This needs this growing dependent type of complementary innovation that ecosystem design and thinking provides.

Beginning to engage with my network of innovation experts.

I have provided these posts or links to a different Ecosystems posting site, “Seeing innovation differently through ecosystem thinking and design,” specifically to my network of innovation contacts, about 1,000 of the 2,000 I have. Many simply did not reply, as you might sadly expect; others just said, “thanks and interesting” but around 70 have held some form of dialogue, all, apart from one, agreeing that we do need to change our innovative approaches and perspectives.

One reply was very specific “So what are we talking about then? What do I take to my boss today? Sorry I am pushing for a bit more practical takeaway here, the actionable proposals.”

The question was searching for what outside selective innovation actually looks like in business reality.

In some further back and forth between us, the feedback offered was “that my framework so far was missing quite a bit on the technology building blocks, novel use cases and business models to enable a symbiotic ecosystem with the correct incentives/ values for the players involved”. I could not argue with that; that is later in my suggestions and proposals and in one post, I think it would be hard to cover this but I sensed the impatience of change and understanding needed. This exchange has pushed me and that is never bad, is it?

Moving (slowly) to this symbiotic ecosystem

I explained this build into my thinking towards this symbiotic ecosystem as the need to shift out of stand-alone innovation (one company) or limited partners contributing into the driver of this into an innovation ecosystem is a seismic move, based on evaluating the value of technology investments, opening up towards a broader network of relationships and shared agreements. The recognition needs to have available a shared digital platform.

I put forward the argument we need to begin to rethink

We have three higher points of need 1. restructure the firm’s economic approaches for innovation activities into a distinctive shared model, 2. build scalable learning and different skills dealing in partnerships and collaborations and relationship building and open sharing 3; work out how to fuse and share new value creation business propositions and models. That alone in recognition, debate and formulation is massive.

Business-to-business Ecosystems are only just emerging.

Business Ecosystems are emerging within the B2B environment but are struggling to gain this different sharing, collaborating traction. Innovation Ecosystems will be no different. In many ways, I am drawing down from two primary sources of understanding: the current approaches and what is available in innovation management software today and how these business-to-business ecosystems are being structured. One primary reference point is Siemens Xcelerator, which only launched on 1st July 2022. Much depends on how they view this Xcelerator and its “true” openness. A platform where distinct marketplace offerings are made is essential in any open sharing model.

I do not see a quick answer. It is a work in progress to build something significant, and will take time, but I was glad a few already pushed me to want to know more.

I started with a (simple) positioning of the Innovation Ecosystem design to explore this.

I treat this as simply my opening thinking, and here a few weeks later, I need to revise this, but here are my opening thinking blocks.

Firstly, Ecosystems within Business (my core) are still only emerging

• Conditions (for change validation)
• Mechanisms (to have in place- Network, Relationships, Technology Governance and Platforms)
• Building core Ecosystem arguments (the way to do things)
• Provide a series of general ecosystem triggers and thoughts (light bulb moment)
• Resolve / Discuss Barriers, Conditions, Management Receptivity, Shift and Architecture differences
• Recognizing the value of Innovation Ecosystems (align and accelerate in value, growth and impact)
• Thoughtful and Planned approach to innovation ecosystems and the differences
• Considerations- changing current reality and working approaches, current constraints and barriers
• Painting the transformation journey, dealing with pressures and challenges to overcome
• The argument of a Platform Strategy to build upon- essential to know why this is central
• Build a Business Case portfolio and a Go-to reference point for leading and best of class
• Tackling Common language and Definitions
• ANCHOR: Innovation and Ecosystems- bringing out differences and new benefits, commonalities
• Building a growing Roadmap, milestones and action-proof points.
• Getting precise, comfortable, and aware of needs, welcoming feedback and contributions
• Getting to the point of actionable proposals or emerging propositions.

Use of my Point of Reference: www.ecosystems4innovators.com

What can I deliver? What can I prompt or stimulate? Do others see the need?

So getting myself clear that we do need to move innovation into a different design and thinking based on Ecosystems and the use of technology platforms is one thing, I recognize the road ahead, and the ability to keep pushing towards this change is another and a hard one to undertake alone.

Time to dig in a little deeper is now needed, and that will need a whole level of different thinking and some help; otherwise, it does stay “an intellectual debate”, something I am often guilty of in my innovative thinking.

We can make innovation ecosystems real but the real big step is designing or suggesting the make-up of the technology digital platform this requires. This must be my next point within this innovation ecosystem design thinking.