Corporate innovation as a contact sport
Updated: Jun 10, 2021
Here it comes, reshaping our Corporate Innovation Strategy.. sounds like deja vu
Interestingly, like contact sport, each round brings novelty and inspiration into the job
Illustration: Bloodsport JCVD
Round 1
Starting July 2016 I joined the CInO (Chief Innovation Officer) team of 20 people to coordinate deeptech intrapreneur program called Think Tank.
Round 2
July 2017 was the time for handover to the new CSO (Chief Strategy Officer) and a split of our organization between an innovation lab, a venture builder studio and two Innovation hubs with 50 peopleIn total.
Round 3
July 2019 was the start of a merging of the innovation lab and the venture builder studio into an innovation center and led by the head of innovation ventures and overseeing more than 80 people.
Round 4
July 2021 we will move into the new Innovation Organization merging data science and innovation venture hubs under the management of the CSTO (Chief Science and Technology Officer) to lead a team of 150 people.
Conclusion
With average one reorg in every 12-18months it could be difficult to establish a vision and inspiring strategy for seeding, embedding and scaling breakthrough and disruptive deeptech internal start-ups.
Despite those reorgs, I keep trusting in the basics, I get the chance to grow my skill and knowledge both in deeptech science and business model design .. curious and excited to see what comes next..