Customer demands nowadays are pressing companies of all sizes to go beyond expectations, imagine a better way to do business, address wicked problems concretely and scale investments in green transition. By identifying emerging technologies and wicked problems and offering unique value propositions, companies can stand out from the competition. Although there are many emerging technologies that could be deployed to transform a business, I think that most of the time, it boils down to the capability of creating innovation programs and roadmaps connecting dependencies on people, processes, systems, and stakeholders.
How do you ensure that your innovation goals and objectives support your business strategy?
I always say that following emerging technologies and trends is not enough. If you want to be at the forefront of emerging opportunities for sustainable development, you should invest in R&D, innovation projects and strategic partnerships as a driver of sustainability and economic growth. As you may well be aware, most innovation projects fail. So how will you build and maintain your capacity to innovate?
Successful leaders in innovation are lifelong learners who continually challenge assumptions. They articulate upfront the value they expect to achieve through their initiatives, and they monitor, measure and track results throughout their projects, whether it be new products, processes, or business models. They recognise opportunities in emerging fields where others do not. To be successful, organisations will need to embrace emerging technologies, remain open to examine evolving business models, and view innovation as a daily practice. At the end of the day, fostering a culture of experimentation and innovation takes hard work, collaboration, and patience. Effective program management is everything!
Program Management: From Strategic Commitment to Results
A successful innovation program management creates a common ground that brings people together and establishes external connections, which is especially important for complex projects that has several stakeholders across teams and companies. You must invest in multiple areas – emerging technologies, new knowledge, and employee training, among others – to meet the demand for sustainable solutions.
Alignment with Business Strategy: Why It Matters
Many of us engaged in innovation and emerging technologies have likely experienced moments of confusion and uncertainty regarding the trajectory of our projects and progress. I have experienced:
📌 A theater for branding
If innovation efforts turn out to be mere branding theater without substantial substance or value, it can lead to several negative consequences. These may include loss of credibility, employee disengagement, competitive disadvantage, and more.
📌 Lack of understanding and commitment in the boardroom
When I see a lack of commitment to innovation and emerging technologies in the top management and/or boardroom, I become concerned that long-term results may suffer.
📌 No time for analysis and thinking
Rushing into action without taking time for proper analysis can lead to a range of negative consequences. I have witnessed: reactive decision-making, diminished stakeholder confidence, and a culture of constant urgency and action without a strategy.
To avoid these missed opportunities, it’s crucial to ensure that your innovation initiatives and technologies investments align with real business objectives and create tangible value for your customers and stakeholders, rather than serving as empty marketing gimmicks. Program management for innovation should be tightly integrated with the overarching business strategy to ensure that technology investments and initiatives align with and contribute to the company’s long-term goals and objectives. One objective is to identify future perspectives and open issues to make emerging technologies a game-changing tool in your business (models).
Let’s talk!
In today’s sustainability-driven world, leveraging data science and emerging technologies for innovation is essential for staying ahead of the curve.
Want to learn more about these ways to unlocking the potential of emerging technologies and explore some of the wicked problems in your industry that should be part of your business strategy? We should talk. As consultant and member of advisory boards, I have applied best practices for innovation and technology investments in companies across various industries, with established companies and with deep tech startups.
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