Veröffentlicht am: 12.07.2012

Open innovation: Revolution in innovation culture

The culture of innovation within companies is changing: Whereas innovative processes were in the past restricted to just a few members of staff, today, idea development processes are openly discussed on Web 2.0. Web-based open innovation platforms such as Induct, a Cloud product developed by the Norwegian software company Induct Software AS, combines the benefits of external expertise with the open flood of ideas from an innovation community. With a structure based on that of a social media portal, Induct is freely scalable and can be used with any browser or system (http://www.open-innovation-software.de). The Norwegian company recently concluded a distribution partnership with Pumacy Technologies AG for German-speaking Europe. Renowned companies such as the Norwegian food group O. Kavli AS, as well as organisations such as the Center for Integration of Medicine and Innovative Technology (CIMIT), a non-profit consortium of Boston’s premier teaching hospitals and universities have long used Induct with success.

The days of inventors developing their extraordinary ideas alone in the quiet of their garden sheds are coming to an end. Even small closed research groups will soon be a thing of the past. Open innovation, the opening of the innovative process and strategic integration of the innovative potential of the outside world, is increasingly becoming the norm in companies. The trailblazers in open innovation are young technology companies which have developed various products with the help of Web-based discussion forums. The key term here is open source development. Today, companies ranging from the SME to the multi-national conglomerate are using growing social media communities as a source of ideas. Across the globe, scientists, manufacturers and customers play a direct role in the development process by way of their comments, evaluations and ideas.

Open innovation platforms offered as Cloud services make new levels of innovation possible. Open innovation management systems such as Induct are constructed as Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) products: The exchange of ideas and innovation management take place on the Internet. Here, Induct is freely scalable and independent of both browser and system – a quick and streamlined solution for driving innovation forward and for the development of products and services in line with market demands. Additional hardware, software or updates are not necessary. Everything is available online. Users need only register and can start immediately. A mobile application also allows Induct to be used with a Smartphone.

The Norwegian development company Induct Software AS recently confirmed its confidence in solutions provider Pumacy Technologies AG. Pumacy will now act as the leading strategic partner in German-speaking Europe. With over five years of experience in innovation management, Pumacy helps innovative companies and research-intensive industries such as medical technology and life science with structural integration as well as providing technical support for the open innovation platform Induct and help with the entire innovative process.

Open innovation platforms à la Innovation 2.0 not only allow employees from research and development to turn their new ideas into novel products, but also allow external parties such as suppliers, distribution partners, customers and other business partners to play an active role in the innovative process. Companies therefore use the dynamism, flow of ideas and synergies of a growing innovation community based on communication between an open group of individuals. Induct automatically draws the attention of managers and decision-makers to new key ideas thereby accelerating decisions and thus also the entire process. According to a survey conducted this year by the opinion research institute IMR, around two thirds of companies surveyed expect the innovation process to speed up as a result of open innovation. For instance, CIMIT, the U.S. non-profit consortium of Boston’s premier teaching hospitals and universities supports interdisciplinary collaboration of experts in medicine, science and technology and has long used Induct successfully.

The Scandinavian joint project KASK Innovation also places its trust in Induct in the healthcare sector: “When hospitals in three countries with more than 40.000 employees and 2 million patients are willing to collaborate on innovation and research, the potential benefits are enormous. Induct enables us to improve the quality of our services, especially transparency and speed in the screening and implementation phases, and thereby deliver better patient experiences. Increase in royalties from new patents and ideas are a welcome add-on – in times with decreasing public budgets,” explains Kjeld Lisby, lead manager of the KASK Innovation project.

Induct offers a broad function spectrum: As well as various blogs, forums and wikis, videos, picture files and any other data format can be uploaded. Professional analysis and statistical tools for various performance indicators, adjustable idea rankings and dynamic idea directories are also integral components. Further functions have also be incorporated to stabilise the implementation phase. “With open innovation using Induct, experts, scientists, medics and engineers can collaborate with industry and authorities worldwide. They can coordinate themselves and drive innovation forward. This allows a higher level of innovation within a shorter timescale,” Dr. Toralf Kahlert stresses, CEO of Pumacy Technologies AG.

More information on Induct at: http://www.open-innovation-software.de

About Pumacy Technologies AG

Pumacy Technologies AG is a leading provider of knowledge, innovation and process management solutions. Methods are established in projects in order to supplement software and integrate these into the organisation. An inter-disciplinary approach helps in meeting the individual requirements of the customer.

Pumacy has already worked for international manufacturers in the aviation and automobile sectors, as well as in mechanical engineering and plant construction and the life sciences industries and has participated in significant international projects.