Innovation management is considered a critical part of the survival of organizations, not least for small and medium-sized enterprises which accounts for the largest share in Swedish business. Despite the positive effects that innovation can bring, there is little research on how systematic innovation management looks in small and medium-sized enterprises.  Purpose: This study aims to contribute to the area of innovation management within small and medium-sized enterprises, by starting a discussion of their pre-conditions to adopt a systematic approach.  Theory: The study does not consider previous theories. However, a phenomenographic approach has influenced the course of the study. To better understand the phenomenon (systematic innovation in small and medium-sized enterprises) we collected perceptions of the sub-areas that constitute an innovation management system. Their basic understandings and variations in their perceptions contributed to an increased understanding of the phenomenon. Method: A total of three external innovation experts and four representatives of small and medium-sized enterprises contributed with data through dialogue-based interviews. The using of a standard for innovation management systems (ISO 56002: 2019) established a mutual understanding of the phenomenon in the conversations with the respondents. While conducting the interviews we analyzed the material where descriptive categories were formed that illustrate differences in how the respondents perceive the phenomenon, their varying ways of delimiting and attributing meaning to the phenomenon.  Results: The outcome of the study consists of the relations between the descriptive categories. The identified descriptive categories attribute meaning to the phenomenon in the following ways; (Descriptive category 1) presupposes knowledge of the individual's value and influence on the process, (Descriptive category 2) presupposes reduced demands on structure and the scope of systematization, (Descriptive category 3) presupposes pressure from external or internal actors. The results show that small and medium-sized enterprises are highly dependent on commitment from management and that the organization has the ability to use these pre-conditions as driving forces for innovation management. / Innovationsledning har på senare tid betraktats som en kritisk del för organisationers överlevnad, inte minst för små och medelstora företag vilka står för den största andelen i svenskt näringsliv. Trots de positiva effekter innovation kan medföra finns det väldigt lite forskning på hur innovationsledning ter sig inom små och medelstora företag. Syfte: Att bidra till området genom att starta en diskussion om vilka förutsättningar små och medelstora företag har att göra innovationsarbetet till en systematisk process. Teori: Studien tar inte hänsyn till tidigare teorier på området. Däremot har fenomenografiska utgångspunkter präglat studiens förlopp. För att komma åt små och medelstora företags förutsättningar att bedriva innovationsledning systematiskt söktes förstå de uppfattningar företagen själva har av det som utgör ett innovations-ledningssystem. Därmed låg intresset i att komma åt grundläggande förståelser och variationer bland dessa, som i sin tur bidrog till en ökad förståelse av fenomenet i sin helhet. Metod: Totalt har tre externa innovationsexperter och fyra representanter från små och medelstora företag bidragit till studiens insamlade information genom dialogbaserade intervjuer. Med hjälp av en befintlig standard för ett innovationsledningssystem (ISO 56002:2019) tillskrevs meningsinnehåll till fenomeneti samtalet med respondenterna. Parallellt med intervjuernas genomförande analyserades innehållet. Under analysen formades beskrivningskategorier som illustrerar skillnader i hur respondenterna uppfattar fenomenet samt deras varierande sätt att avgränsa det. Resultat: Utfallsrummet utgörs av relationen mellan beskrivningskategorierna och kan ses som studiens resultat. De identifierade beskrivningskategorierna tillskriver mening till fenomenet på följande vis; (Beskrivningskategori 1) förutsätter kännedom om individens värde och påverkan på processen, (Beskrivningskategori 2) förutsätter sänkta krav på struktur och systematiseringens omfattning, (Beskrivningskategori 3) förutsätter påtryckningar från externa eller interna aktörer. Utfallsrummet i sin tur visar på att små och medelstora företag är högst beroende av att ledning och organisation i sin helhet kan se och utnyttja dessa förutsättningar som drivkrafter för systematisk innovationsledning.

[pt] O objetivo desta dissertação é desenvolver um modelo conceitual de autoavaliação para que organizações que buscam a excelência em gestão da inovação possam verificar em que nível de maturidade se encontram em relação às cláusulas e aos itens da Norma ABNT NBR ISO 56002:2020. Busca-se demonstrar a aplicabilidade do modelo mediante o desenvolvimento de um estudo empírico em uma das empresas do setor elétrico – a Light SESA. A pesquisa pode ser considerada aplicada, metodológica e descritiva. A metodologia compreende: (i) revisão da literatura e análise documental sobre os temas centrais da pesquisa; (ii) definição da estrutura analítica em rede, conforme o método Analytic Network Process (ANP) e segundo a estrutura da referida Norma; (iii) emprego do método ANP para atribuição de pesos aos 28 itens da Norma, mediante reuniões consensuais com especialistas com formação e experiência em gestão da inovação; (iv) elaboração e aplicação do instrumento de autoavaliação junto ao gestor de inovação da empresa Light SESA e a membros de sua equipe para avaliar o nível de maturidade da empresa em relação às cláusulas e aos itens da Norma, com uso da lógica fuzzy; (vi) emprego do método Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA) para identificar os itens que devem ser priorizados, visando à melhoria do sistema de gestão da inovação da empresa. Como resultado principal, destaca-se uma sistemática inovadora de autoavaliação para organizações que buscam a excelência em gestão da inovação, na perspectiva de apoiar processos decisórios internos referentes à melhoria contínua de seus sistemas de gestão da inovação. O estudo de caso na Light SESA demonstrou ser plausível determinar o nível de maturidade desta empresa em relação às cláusulas e itens da Norma ABNT NBR ISO 56002:2020 e permitiu identificar oportunidades de melhoria de seu atual sistema de gestão da inovação. / [en] The objective of the dissertation is to develop a conceptual model of self-assessment for organizations that search for excellence in innovation management to verify at which level of maturity they are concerning the ABNT NBR ISO 56002:2020 standard clauses and items. It seeks to demonstrate the model s applicability by developing an empirical study on one of the companies from the electric power sector – Light SESA. The research can be considered applied, methodological and descriptive. The methodology comprises: (i) literature review and documentary analysis on the central research themes; (ii) definition of the analytical structure according to the Analytic Network Process (ANP) method and the structure of the ABNT NBR ISO 56002:2020 standard; (iv) application of the ANP method for assigning weights to the 28 normative elements with the participation of experts in the field of innovation management; (v) elaboration, pre-test, and application of the self-assessment tool in Light SESA, asking the innovation manager and collaborators to evaluate the level of maturity of the company in relation in relation to the Standard clauses and items, and using the fuzzy logic; (vi) employment of the Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA) method to identify the requirements that should be prioritized aiming to improve the company s innovation management system. As the main result of this dissertation, the assessment model of innovation management systems of companies based on ABNT NBR ISO 56002:2020 Standard can be highlighted from the perspective of supporting internal decision-making processes related to the continuous improvement of their innovation management systems. The case study in Light SESA could demonstrate the self-assessment model s applicability and managerial contributions, helping the company to identify improvement opportunities of its current innovation management system.

The popularity of the term innovation is growing rapidly. Its significant role in the increasingly competitive world is not deniable. Consequently, to secure their profitable growth, enterprises across the world try to improve their innovation capabilities.After publishing the first international standard by ISO, in the realm of innovation management system, this current thesis project is performed to investigate the challenges and motivations that production units may have in implementing the new standard, ISO 56002, in their production processes. The empirical part of the project is carried out in cooperation with five Swedish industrial companies. A variety of companies regarding to the type of activities, size, age, etc. were selected. Based on the content of standard ISO 56002, the collected data from prior research and empirical findings, an analysis is performed. The results shows that organizations have different approaches toward managing innovation activities and their current innovation management’s capabilities is a determining factor for challenges with ISO 56002. However, all respondents have positive attitude toward the implementation of ISO 56002 in the production processes and consider it as a useful standard with many potential benefits for their organizations. Challenges that companies may confront, in applying ISO 65002 in the production processes, are culture, involvement of leadership, immaturity in working with processes, etc. Considering the consensus about the culture as a challenge, a model to enhance the employee’s engagement is suggested.This thesis is one of the pioneers in investigating the applicability of ISO 56002:2019 in a production process. It can provide production units with useful information and contribute to the innovation management community.The empirical information is collected from companies that have not implemented ISO 56002.Future studies by focusing on the companies with ISO 56002, can shed light on new aspects of the standard’s applicability in the production processes and develop findings of the present thesis. Additionally, the implementation of standard’s various features in production processes can be inspected individually. Keywords:ISO 56002:2019, ISO 56000:2020, Standard, Innovation, Innovation Management System, Production Process / <p>The presentation was online through the application ZOOM.</p>

The overall aim of this thesis was to identify and analyze good innovation management practices in Sweden’s most innovative large companies, excluding governmentally owned organizations. Out of 500 large organizations in Sweden, the top 25 most innovative companies have been ranked based upon over 7,000 printed press articles from 2018 available through Retriever Media. The companies are ranked by their innovations score which is calculated by the number of articles a company is mentioned in, adjusted to the company size, and multiplied with the mean sentiment score. The top 25 companies from the ranking was compared with 25 reference companies, active within the same industry based on the Swedish Standard Industrial Classification (SNI) number, that received a lower innovation score. Good innovation management practices were analyzed based on 14 qualitative interviews in 12 of the top 15 ranked companies and a quantitative survey responded by 20 top ranked and 17 reference companies. The interviews were semi structured with open ended questions to identify used practices, and the reasoning behind them. Spearman’s correlation method has been used to investigate if there was any correlation between the company’s innovation score, the mean performance score, and the mean importance score rated by respondents. The company case studies provide authentic examples on how and when different methods and concepts are used within industry. However, while theoretical frameworks often are strictly defined and described in solitary, the interviews have shown that when used within industry, it is rather the opposite. In many of the interviewed companies, frameworks and methods are modified, combined and constantly evolving. Aspects that the interviewees have expressed as important for an innovative company are: Innovation and change should be iterative, decentralized and started in small scale while receiving full support from top management. Examples of identified practices are: The innovation vision is used in the decision-making process for new ideas. Keywords connected to innovation are used for guiding new aspirations. There is an overall aim to become industry or/and digital leaders. Although the interviewed companies had similar innovation management practices, they were usually modified to fit within the company’s own organization and industry. The interviews contributed with interesting collection of practices within their authentic setting from which other companies could draw inspiration from. Lastly, a handbook was created describing how to conduct the innovation ranking annually, including a description of how to use the software as well as the required script of code. / Det övergripande syftet med denna uppsats har varit att identifiera och analysera hur ett antal stora och framgångsrika bolag bedriver innovationsledning. Av 500 svenska företag har de 25 mest innovativa rankats baserat på hur företagen framställts i över 7000 tryckta artiklar under 2018. I artiklarna som tagits fram via Retriever Media har företagen poängsatts efter antalet artiklar som de omnämnts i, korrigerat efter företagens storlek, multiplicerat med artiklarnas genomsnittliga sentimentvärde. De 25 högst rankade företagen jämfördes sedan med 25 referensföretag aktiva inom samma bransch enligt standarden för svensk näringsindelning (SNI). God innovationsledningspraxis identifierades och analyserades genom 14 intervjuer med 12 av de 15 högst rankade företagen, samt en enkätstudie som besvarades av 20 av de 25 högst rankade företagen och 17 av referensbolagen. Intervjuerna var semi strukturerade med öppna frågor för att identifiera den innovationsledningspraxis som företagen använder sig av samt bakomliggande resonemang. Spearmans rangkorrelation användes för att identifiera eventuella korrelationer mellan företagens innovationsrankning och hur företaget presterar med avseende på olika innovationsaspekter samt hur viktiga dessa aspekter anses. Analysen av innovationsledningspraxis resulterade i praktiska exempel på hur och när olika metoder, verktyg och strategier användes inom företagen. Managementteorier som kan uppfattas som strikta i litteraturen visade sig kombineras, modifieras och utvecklas i flera av de intervjuade företagen. Aspekter som företagen lyfte fram som viktiga var att innovation och förändring behöver ske iterativt, decentraliseras och startas småskaligt med full uppbackning av företagsledningen. Några av de olika sätt att framgångsrikt leda innovation som identifierats är att: Det finns en vision för hur för företaget ska jobba med innovation och denna vision ligger till grund för mycket av den beslutsfattande processen när det kommer till nya idéer. Nyckelord kopplade till olika innovationsmål används frekvent för att leda forskning och utveckling i rätt riktning. Det finns även ett övergripande mål om att bli det ledande företaget inom olika områden och näringsgrenar. Även om många av de intervjuade företagen hade liknande innovationsledningspraxis så var denna ofta modifierade för att passa det enskilda bolaget eller branschen. De intervjuade företagen bidrog med en stor mängd intressanta metoder och insikter som andra företag kan inspireras och dra nytta av för att förbättra sin innovationsledningsförmåga. Slutligen sammanställdes en handbok för att genomföra en innovationsrankning, inklusive hur man använder de programvaror som krävs samt all nödvändig kod för att möjliggöra en återkommande rankning av innovativa företag.

[pt] O objetivo desta dissertação é desenvolver um modelo conceitual de autoavaliação para que instituições científicas, tecnológicas e de inovação (ICT), que buscam a excelência em gestão da inovação, possam verificar em que nível de maturidade se encontram em relação às cláusulas e itens da Norma ABNT NBR ISO 56002:2020. Busca-se demonstrar a aplicabilidade do modelo mediante o desenvolvimento de um estudo empírico em uma unidade de pesquisa do Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovações – o Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia (INT). A metodologia compreende: (i) pesquisa bibliográfica e documental sobre os temas centrais da pesquisa; (ii) construção do modelo conceitual de autoavaliação de sistemas de gestão da inovação, considerando o papel das ICT como intermediários de inovação; (iii) definição da estrutura analítica em rede, conforme os itens da referida Norma, e elaboração do instrumento de autoavaliação; (iv) definição dos pesos dos itens da Norma com participação de especialistas convidados; (iv) aplicação do instrumento de autoavaliação junto a gestores da instituição participante do estudo empírico; (vii) identificação dos itens que devem ser priorizados, visando à melhoria do sistema de gestão da inovação da instituição. Destaca-se como resultado principal uma sistemática inovadora de autoavaliação de instituições científicas, tecnológicas e de inovação, criada na perspectiva de apoiar processos decisórios referentes à melhoria contínua de seus sistemas de gestão da inovação. / [en] The objective of this dissertation is to develop a conceptual model of selfassessment so that scientific, technological and innovation institutions (ICT, acronym in Portuguese), which seek excellence in innovation management, can verify their level of maturity in relation to the clauses and items of the ABNT NBR ISO 56002:2020 Standard. To demonstrate the applicability of the model in a real context, an empirical study was developed in a Research Unit of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation – the National Institute of Technology (INT, acronym in Portuguese). The methodology comprises: (i) bibliographic and documental research on the central themes of the research; (ii) design of a conceptual model for self-assessment of innovation management systems, considering the role of ICT as innovation intermediaries; (iii) definition of the analytic network structure, according to the items of the aforementioned Standard, and elaboration of the self-assessment instrument; (iv) definition of the weights of the assessment items with the participation of invited experts; (iv) application of the self-assessment instrument with managers of the ICT participating in the empirical study; (vii) identification of items that should be prioritized, with a view to improving the institution s innovation management system. The main result is an innovative system of self-assessment of Scientific, Technological and Innovation Institutions, created with a view to supporting decision-making processes regarding the continuous improvement of their innovation management systems.