Bakgrund: Företagens interna innovationsfunktioner minskas samtidigt som företagen i större utsträckning väljer att tillämpa öppen innovation, gränsöverskridande samarbeten. Massor av forskning visar på att öppen innovation innebär en rad fördelar och möjligheter, men även utmaningar. Få studier belyser dock sambandet mellan komplexa innovationsutvecklingsprocesser och tillämpandet av gränsöverskridande samarbeten. Påverkar antalet komplexa beståndsdelar i innovationsutvecklingsprocesser i vilken konstellation företag väljer att samarbete med externa parter? Författarna ställer sig frågande till detta. Syfte: Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka hur komplexiteten i innovationsutvecklingsprocesser påverkar i vilken utsträckning företag väljer att samarbeta med externa parter. Studien ska även undersöka i vilken konstellation företag väljer att samarbeta med externa parter baserat på hur komplexa innovationsutvecklingsprocesserna är. Även Incitament för gränsöverskridande samarbete vid utvecklandet av komplexa innovationer kommer att studeras. Genomförande: Kvalitativ data erhölls genom fem samtalsintervjuer med fyra Innovationsledare och en processansvarig för innovationsutveckling avseende komplexa innovationer inom Ikea. Kvantitativ data erhölls genom en enkätundersökning som besvarades av samtliga Innovationsledare samt deras medarbetare (28 respondenter totalt) Resultat: Studien indikerar på att ju mer komplex en innovationsutvecklingsprocess är, desto större är sannolikheten att externa parter får större inblick i fler beståndsdelar avseende utvecklingsprocessen. Graden av komplexitet i utvecklingsprocessen ökar även sannolikheten för att inifrån-ut innovation tillämpas. / Background: The companys internal innovation functions decreases while companies choose to apply open innovation, cross-border cooperation. Lots of research shows that open innovation involves several benefits and opportunities, but also challenges. Few studies, however, illustrates the connection between complex innovation processes and the application of cross-border cooperation. Does the number of complex components in innovation development processes affect in which constellation companies choose to cooperate with external parties? This is something the authors ask themselves. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate how the complexity of innovation development processes affects the extent to which companies choose to cooperate with external parties. The study will also investigate what constellation companies choose to collaborate with external parties based on the complexity of innovation development processes. Incentives for cross-border cooperation in the development of complex innovations will also be studied. Implementation: Qualitative data was obtained through five interviews with four Innovation leaders and a process manager for innovation development, regarding complex innovations within Ikea. Quantitative data was obtained through a survey that was answered by all Innovation Leaders and their employees (28 respondents in total). Results: The study indicates that the more complex an innovation development process is, the greater is the likelihood that external parties will gain more insight into more components of the development process. The degree of complexity in the development process also increases the likelihood that inside-out innovation is applied.

Innovation is a difficult, yet vital factor for any given organization. This has led to a new type of organizations; the intermediaries of open innovation. These provide a service offering by creating interchange between seekers with innovation problems, and third party problem solvers. This study focus on the specific case of one innovation intermediary; Demola East Sweden. They connect seekers of like big organizations or private persons, with student solvers from Linköping University. Demola East Sweden has grown quickly since the start in 2012, and now recognizes a need for evaluation. The purpose of this study is to examine the user experience of the Demola East Sweden innovation intermediary project process. This through the perspective of what adds values to it, and what could improve to the experience. The study was conducted as a case study in four phases of planning, mapping, analyzing, and conclusion. The planning phase defined the practical framework of the study, and three main areas of theory were chosen: the service of innovation intermediation, the structures behind innovation management, and the practical implementation of innovation. The mapping phase included observations and interviews for collecting data. As an initial step, insight on the context and operations of Demola East Sweden and the general project process was attained. Four project cases were then chosen to examine further. This included interviews with the seeker, the solvers, and the Demola East Sweden project facilitator of each case. The results were analyzed by answering specified research questions, defined by connecting the three theory areas to the purpose of the study. From this, conclusions for the study then could be drawn.The results generated an overview of the general project process of what happens before, during, and after the project conduct. Before project start, the process is mainly about screening the seekers and their projects ideas, and the solvers applying to participate. The analysis show that this initial screening process is important for assuring quality to the projects, and making sure the user expectations matches the service provided. During the projects the seekers are not involved much. The solvers on the other hand, are parallel to the project work also provided with mandatory events from Demola East Sweden and Linköping University. This e.g. includes pitch events where the solvers present and attain feedback on their projects, and coaching sessions on ethics and project goals. The analysis shows that the mandatory events are critical decision points, and are crucial for detecting problem areas in process. When the final results are presented and delivered to the seekers, they can choose if they want to buy it or not. If they choose not to, then they still own the initial project idea, but solvers own the generated results. The analysis shows that the results rarely go further than to concept solutions or prototypes, but also that these issues do not define the success rate of the projects. This is instead measured from the values attained from the experience of the project process. Regarding the expectations and the actual user experience, a common aspect for participation for both seekers and solvers, is the potential of recruitment. Otherwise, the seekers also expect the opportunity for low risk business investment, where they do not need to put in resources or commitment, but still maintain potential for innovation. For the solvers the expectations is also about attaining experience from real projects, where they at the same time gain course credits from the mandatory project events provided by the university. In general the expectations often match the actual experience. The issues on improvement is instead about e.g. the project process including too many mandatory events, lack of coordination between Demola East Sweden and Linköping University, and maintaining a balance of the important mutual interchange between the seekers and the solvers. / Innovation är en svårhanterad, men samtidigt viktig faktor för alla typer av organisationer. Detta har lett till en ny typ av organisationer; förmedlarna av öppen innovation. Dessa arbetar för att föra samman och skapa utbyte mellan sökare med innovationsproblem, och tredjeparts problemlösare. Denna studie fokuserar på det särskilda fallet av en sådan innovationsförmedlare; Demola East Sweden. De för samman sökare i form av t.ex. större företag eller privatpersoner, med lösare i form av studenter från Linköpings Universitet. Demola East Sweden har snabbt vuxit sedan starten 2012, och ser nu ett behov av utvärdering. Syftet med studien är att undersöka användarupplevelsen av Demola East Sweden’s innovationsförmedlande projektprocess. Detta genom perspektivet av vad som skapar värde i den, och vad som kan förbättra upplevelsen. Studien genomfördes som en fallstudie i fyra faser av planering, kartläggning, analys, och slutsats. I planeringsfasen definierades det praktiska ramverket för studien, och tre teoretiska huvudområden valdes: innovationsförmedling som en tjänst, strukturen bakom innovationshantering, och det praktiska genomförandet av innovation. Kartläggningsfasen inkluderade observationer och intervjuer för datainsamling. I ett första steg skaffades insikt och förståelse för kontexten och verksamheten kring Demola East Sweden och den generella projektprocessen. Fyra projektfall valdes sedan ut för att utforska vidare. Detta inkluderade intervjuer med sökare, lösare, och Demola East Sweden’s projektfacilatorer för varje fall. Resultatet analyserades genom att besvara specificerade frågeställningar, vilka definierats genom att koppla samman de tre teoriområdena med studiens syfte. Från detta kunde sedan slutsatser för studien dras. Resultatet genererade en översikt av den generella projektprocessen och vad som händer före, under, och efter projektens genförande. Innan projektstart handlar processen framförallt om att gallra sökare och deras projektidéer, och lösarna som ansöker för att delta. Analysen visar att denna initiala gallringsprocess är viktig för att försäkra kvalitet till projekten, och för att säkerställa att användarnas förväntningar samstämmer med tjänsten som erbjuds. Under själva projektprocessen är inte sökarna särskilt involverade. Lösarna, å andra sidan, deltar i obligatoriska projektmoment från Demola East Sweden och från Linköpings Universitet. Detta inkluderar t.ex. pitch-tillfällen där lösarna presenterar och får feedback på projekten, och handledningstillfällen kring etik och projektmål. Analysen visar att de obligatoriska momenten är kritiska beslutspunkter, och viktiga för att upptäcka problemområden i projektprocessen. När slutresultatet presenteras och levereras till sökarna, kan dessa välja att köpa det eller inte. Om de väljer att inte göra det, så äger de fortfarande själva projektidén, men lösarna äger det genererade resultatet. Analysen visar att resultaten sällan utvecklas längre än till konceptlösningar eller prototyper, men också att detta inte definierar framgångsgraden för projekten. Detta mäts istället genom värdet som erhålls från upplevelsen av själva projektprocessen. Avseende förväntningar och den verkliga upplevelsen, så är en vanlig anledning för både sökare och lösare att delta den potentiella rekryteringsmöjligheten. I övrigt förväntar sig sökarna möjlighet till lågrisk affärsutveckling, där de inte behöver investera resurser eller förpliktelser, men fortfarande har tillgång till eventuell innovation. För lösarna handlar förväntningarna även om att skaffa erfarenhet från verkliga projekt, där de samtidigt tjänar kurspoäng från Linköpings Universitets obligatoriska projektmoment. Generellt sett möter förväntningarna den verkliga upplevelsen. Faktorerna kring förbättring handlar snarare om t.ex. att projektprocessen innehåller för många obligatoriska moment, bristande koordination i samarbetet mellan Demola East Sweden och Linköpings Universitet, och underhåll av balansen i det viktiga ömsesidiga utbytet mellan sökare och lösare.

Divergence of new and old technologies is a source of tremendous innovation potential. As the dizzying pace of technological innovation accelerates indefinitely into tomorrow, not only do new paths diverge exponentially; doors already opened are increasingly abandoned for the allure of things undiscovered. Mature, late-stage life-cycle products left behind in today's fast-paced world open the floodgates to reinvention. This paper tests the hypothesis that innovativeness can be encouraged through the learning and application of universal innovation principles and processes. The implications of this research area are far-reaching. If innovation can be encouraged, then it can likely be taught. If it can be taught, then it can be systematized. More pervasive systematic innovation will accelerate change in the world. Individuals and organizations that master this kind of innovation will gain tremendous competitive advantages. The more people innovate, the more opportunities to innovate there will be. Creativity begets creativity. The microcosm studied in this thesis -- that of discontinuous innovation applied to mature products -- underscores the promise of potential far grander. If innovators, whether in small businesses or large corporations, seeking to capitalize on existing products with proven demand can combine innovation with iteration to consistently produce value for product stakeholders, what could they do to disrupt products as we know them? How many new product categories would emerge? Finally, if ordinary people everywhere began seeing themselves as and acting like innovators, what would stop any of us from changing the world? This paper distills existing and original theories of innovation into a new model called Innovation Harmony. The Innovation Harmony model details four crucial aspects of innovation, which are 1) Harmonize the views of stakeholders, 2) Understand the principles of innovation, 3) Create a creative environment, and 4) Apply the principles of innovation (follow a methodology). The paper concludes with a summary of a case study conducted at Brigham Young University, wherein 17 students attempted to reinvent the conventional Waffle Iron in a controlled environment. Their innovations are presented in the Appendix. Relevant analysis and recommendations are discussed in conclusion.

La thèse traite de l’évaluation de la capacité d’innovation des petites et moyennes entreprises, quand elles intègrent l’innovation dans leur volonté de croissance. L’objectif est de comprendre les facteurs pouvant expliquer le lien positif entre l’innovation et la performance pour les PME. Ce lien complexe repose sur une multitude de facteurs, relatifs à la production et la valorisation de l’innovation. Nous avons focalisé notre attention sur l’analyse du management de l’innovation au travers de l’évaluation de la capacité d’innovation des PME.Il s’agit de comprendre en quoi le management de l’innovation, au travers de l’évaluation, peut favoriser la performance d’innovation en PME et, par conséquent, la performance des PME. Pour traiter ces questions, nous explorons, théoriquement et empiriquement, les facteurs constitutifs de la capacité d’innovation des PME, permettant d’expliquer la performance d’innovation des PME. L’exploration tient compte du champ de la PME, conformément aux recommandations liées à la contextualisation de l’innovation. L’influence du champ PME sur l’analyse de la capacité d’innovation et son évaluation est étudiée.Les résultats de la thèse apportent plusieurs éléments nouveaux de connaissance. Nous proposons, d’abord, une définition conceptuelle et opérationnelle de la capacité d’innovation des PME. Elle est construite autour de dimension statique et dynamique de la capacité d’innovation des PME. Cette définition améliore la compréhension des mécanismes facilitant la production et la valorisation de l’innovation au sein des PME.Les résultats éclairent, ensuite, le lien direct existant entre plusieurs dimensions de la capacité d’innovation des PME et la performance d’innovation des PME. Nous participons au débat sur l’intérêt du management de l’innovation pour les PME. Nous montrons que l’évaluation de l’activité d’innovation peut être réalisée autour de plusieurs dimensions de la capacité d’innovation. Ces dimensions de la capacité d’innovation ont un impact, positif ou négatif, sur la performance d’innovation des PME. L’impact est directement lié à la capacité des PME à gérer et mobiliser efficacement ces dimensions de la capacité d’innovation en fonction de son contexte propre. Il est, aussi, lié à la capacité de la PME à assurer le dynamisme de sa capacité d’innovation. Le dynamisme est assuré face aux évolutions de la PME elle-même et de son environnement pour assurer le maintien de la capacité d’innovation de la PME. Le management de l’innovation et l’évaluation de la capacité d’innovation des PME sont, donc, bénéfiques pour les PME. Ils permettent aux PME d’optimiser leur processus d’innovation et d’assurer leur évolution. Nous prolongeons, ainsi, les travaux sur le management de l’innovation et sur le management de l’innovation en PME.La thèse propose, enfin, une analyse du champ PME, de son influence sur la capacité d’innovation et de son évaluation. Nous concluons sur l’effet des spécificités des PME sur l’activité d’innovation, sur la construction de la capacité d’innovation et son évaluation. L’effet des spécificités des PME influence les dimensions de la capacité d’innovation et la performance d’innovation. Cependant, l’analyse de l’effet positif ou négatif des spécificités des PME sur l’innovation doit être nuancée. Les spécificités des PME et leur influence sur la capacité d’innovation dépendent du contexte particulier de l’entreprise et de son activité d’innovation. Le cas Alpha mobilisé illustre ce résultat. Des facteurs déterminants sa capacité d’innovation se sont transformés en véritables freins à l’innovation. Par conséquent, l’approche par la contingence est recommandée pour l’analyse de l’innovation en PME. Nous retenons particulièrement l’effet de la croissance de la PME et, donc, de son évolution propre, pour analyser et évaluer la capacité d’innovation de la PME. / The thesis deals with the assessment of SMEs innovation capacity, when they integrate innovation in their desire for growth. The objective is to understand the factors that can explain the positive link between SMEs innovation and performance. This complex relationship is based on multiple factors relating to the production and valorization of innovation. We focused our attention on innovation management SMEs innovation capacity assessmen.The aim is to understand how innovation management, through evaluation, can foster SMEs innovation performance and, consequently, SMEs performance. To address these issues, we explore, both theoretically and empirically, the factors that make up the SMEs innovation capacity to explain SMEs innovation performance. Exploration takes into account SMEs spécificities, in line with literature. We focus ont the influence of SMEs specificities on innovation capacity and its assessment.The thesis results rovide several new elements of knowledge. First, we propose a conceptual and operational definition of SMEs innovation capacity. It is built around the static and dynamic dimension of the innovation capacity. This definition improves the understanding of mechanisms facilitating the production and valorization of innovation within SMEs.The results then higlights the link between certain SMS innovation capacity dimensions and SMEs innovation performance. We participate to the debate discussing the interest of innovation management for SMEs. We show that the innovation activity can be carried out around several dimensions of innovation capacity. These dimensions of innovation capacity have a positive or negative impact,on SMEs innovation performance. The impact is directly related to the ability of SMEs to effectively manage and mobilize these dimensions of innovation capacity according to their own context. It is also linked to the SME's capacity to ensure the dynamism of its innovation capacity. The dynamism is assured regarding the evolutions of the SME itself and its environment to ensure the maintenance of SMEs innovation capacity. The management of innovation and the evaluation of the innovation capacity of SMEs are, therefore, beneficial for SMEs. They enable SMEs to optimize their innovation process and ensure their evolution. We extend the work on innovation management and innovation management in SMEs.The thesis proposes, finally, an analysis of SMEs specificities. SMEs specificities have an influence on innovation capcity and innovation performance. However, the analysis of the positive or negative effect of SMEs specificities on innovation needs to be nuanced. SMEs specificities and their influence on innovation capacity depend on the particular context of the company. The unique case mobilized illustrates this result. Therefore, the contingency approach is recommended for the analysis of innovation in SMEs.

This thesis accomplishes two major goals: 1. it establishes an innovation decision making framework suitable for the public service sector; and 2. it provides in-depth understanding of the established framework through two detailed accounts of innovation in Saskatchewan Department of Highways and Transportation. The major benefit from applying the findings from this research is a disciplined and structured approach to managing innovation. This in turn significantly increases the chance of innovations success. <p>The decision making framework identifies the most important success drivers that influence the innovation process from conceptual ideas to diffusion. The accompanying idea to launch innovation stage gate model is a structured and disciplined approach to managing innovation and allocating resources in a most optimized way. Both the guiding innovation framework and the idea to launch process maintain a strong strategic focus and provide an environment for intelligent risk taking.

This thesis accomplishes two major goals: 1. it establishes an innovation decision making framework suitable for the public service sector; and 2. it provides in-depth understanding of the established framework through two detailed accounts of innovation in Saskatchewan Department of Highways and Transportation. The major benefit from applying the findings from this research is a disciplined and structured approach to managing innovation. This in turn significantly increases the chance of innovations success. <p>The decision making framework identifies the most important success drivers that influence the innovation process from conceptual ideas to diffusion. The accompanying idea to launch innovation stage gate model is a structured and disciplined approach to managing innovation and allocating resources in a most optimized way. Both the guiding innovation framework and the idea to launch process maintain a strong strategic focus and provide an environment for intelligent risk taking.

This Dissertation presents a comprehensive Process Map for innovation [the Map], based on a comparison and synthesis of the reported steps for creating in many disciplines, including Engineering Design and Buddhist Meditation. The Map is presented in three stages and seven detailed steps, following a review of the status quo of innovation in Engineering Design from literature and Industry surveys, and can be said to provide the first natural and common language for innovation. The application of Buddhist Methods is a key feature in the development of the Map, introducing a consistency and hierarchy, as well as co-evolutionary and eco-systemic aspect to academic understanding of innovation and its management, which has been lacking in models proposed in literature and Tools such as TRIZ in the past. Presentation of the Map theory and Map itself is followed by reports of its testing and proof of concept with an Industry Collaborator from 2006-10, including: [i] benchmarking of ‘Systematic Innovation’ [ii] an Industry Pilot Test comparing teaching of TRIZ with the Innovation Map and [iii] results of four nine-month periods of application in training, coaching, workshops, Games and GameDays. The Map is shown to improve high-end technical innovation in corporate environments, by streamlining the way questions are asked, and answers found and evaluated. It is directly responsible for unprecedented solutions achieved by Engineering Design teams addressing long-standing problems in very short time frames. Facilitated sessions using the Map achieve an ROI up to 2847% in each session and are estimated to have contributed billions of Euros value to the Industry Collaborator over four years of testing. In comparison with other options, the Map provides cheaper, simpler and more elegant innovation incorporating Tools, process and potential culture for any kind of User - Company, Consultant, Innovation Manager or Academic.

Introduction  With great deal of emphasis being placed at a company‘s ability to innovate for its continual survival, and the role the Innovation Cul-ture at a company plays in achieving that innovation, and translating the dream into reality, we set out to study a one such case, Al-Elm Information Security Company, in Riyadh Saudi Arabia, which had achieved phenomenal growth over the last 6 years through innova-tion. Therefore in this thesis will discuss and present the role of In-novation Culture in driving growth, particularly in Al-Elm‘s case, as our case study for this research paper.PurposeThe purpose of this research thesis is to study and analyze the role of innovation culture in Al-Elm Information Security Company‘s con-tinued survival and explosive growth.MethodTo fulfill the purpose of this thesis, we followed qualitative research and conducted semi structured and structured interviews with both open ended and closed ended questions through the means of fae-to-face on site interviews in Riyadh Saudi Arabia where Al-Elm is lo-cated, to collect the empirical data. For this study, we have included only seven interviews out of a total of twelve interviews we con-ducted for the purpose of this research, following purposive sam-pling. In the analysis, we analyzed Al-Elm‘s previous success based on Innovation, its current growth trajectory, as well as future projec-tions based on the Innovation Culture, providing insights based on both the empirical findings as well as literature. We deducted the conclusion that innovation culture is the vital source to keep the company, Al-Elm, continually survive and thrive, and grow fur-ther. Actually innovation culture is embedded in the company system and also is a habit for all the people within the organization. Innovation culture makes employee generate more useful ideas and then put them into practice for the company, which is why company has experienced phenomenal growth and has grown exponentially in terms of revenue and size.

Due to the rapid variation of the world economic conditions, the situation of property competition has turned from regional into global. The traditional property is facing the unprecedented challenge. Especially after joined the WTO, Taiwan¡¦s traditional property is confronting the turning point to either the better or the worse. In such a rapid-changing economic circumstance, the enterprisers should not only keep in the lead status, but pursue competitive superiority on business strategy. Therefore only making good use of innovation management can make the firms move on with the age. For the past ten years, the growth of business profits are mostly come from reducing the prime cost; however, presently the prime cost has no way to condense down, so finding the new directions and energy for the next phase are the common anxiety to the all enterprisers. At the present time, all the experts believe that the key to making business profits in the next phase is only by creativity and innovation. In recent years, the traditional property has paid much attention on ¡§property innovation¡¨ than before. This could be practiced by several firms absorbing the concept of innovation, and making higher ROI than before, also promoting the constitution of the firms. In this way, ¡§property innovation¡¨ can prove several aspects such as the more proactive development of the firms, and eliminate the stereotype that the traditional property is the declining property. This research is focusing on cognition of OPTION on product innovation during designing and the exploitation process. The innovation of products not just makes the firms operate sustainedly, but also be the only way to earn rich profits. The creativity of a successful innovative product needs to possess the explicit features and orientation. Also, product innovation should gain the consumers¡¦ identification to make the substantial economic benefits. Formerly, the product innovation is discussed from the viewpoints of the products¡¦ exterior designing or the management of the firms, and the both have the great influences on product innovation. This research analyses that the foregoing two points contribute to the consultation and estimation during exploiting the new products, and help to reduce the gap between the consumers and the firms¡¦ R&D department, and in this way, the firms can be closer to the consumers¡¦ needs for the new products. Key word: Innovation¡BInnovation management¡BExploiting the new products¡BOPTION on product innovation

Purpose - The purpose of this study is to explore the impact that implementing lean has on a company’s ability to innovate, especially their ability to produce radically innovative products.   Framework – The framework developed for the purpose of this study is made out of four propositions. Each of the propositions is aimed at covering a certain aspect of the area under investigation. The propositions are constructed through a comparison of the main principles and characteristics of both lean thinking and innovation management that are seen to be relevant to the area of product development.   Methodology – The study employs a qualitative multi-case study design. Four Swedish SME’s that have been implementing lean in both manufacturing and product development are investigated. The data for the study is collected using two methods; an online questionnaire and a face-to-face interview.   Findings - The study leads to the belief that the implementation of lean could lead to a company’s ability to produce radically innovative products being negatively impacted, but that this impact could be avoided if a company wishes to do so.   Managerial Implications – Managers are made aware of the possible consequences of the implementation, as well as, of the possible balance. Solutions to achieving a balance are offered.   Limitations – The approach to exploring the subject in hand, the choice of participating companies, and the interview guide employed, are all seen as limitation for this study.