Strategy

Technology scouting: knowledge leads to innovation

Emerging technologies, materials, and processes are the key to innovation. There is a fine art to identifying the status quo for your company and achieving market success with promising technologies.

The challenge

Early identification

Identifying technologies early on leads to market leadership.

Reliable information on new technologies, materials, and processes.
Recognizing future technologies and their application potential.
Objectively assessing innovation potential.

The solution

Technology scouting

Conduct technology monitoring for your innovation management with foresight.

In-depth assessment of your requirements by experienced researchers.
Experts from the lead user network assess technology, materials, and processes.
A technology scouting shows areas of opportunity.

The result

Innovation advancement

The basis of your strategy for technology leadership.

A potential analysis that takes account of all aspects important to you.
A realistic appraisal of technologies, materials, and processes based on your requirements.
We connect you with experts regarding your technology scouting.

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Trend research

What is technology scouting?

Technology scouting is a subarea of trend research. This involves the regular and systematic monitoring of technological developments with the aim of seeking out newly emerging technologies early on.
Technology scouting is used for bridging the gap between innovative external technologies and internal requirementsover the long term. This matching can be supported by technology roadmaps. The requirements placed on strategic technology management are dealt with systematically using the roadmap, and operational research and development is controlled purposefully.

Knowledge advancement

What advantage does a technology scouting entail?

What advantage does a technology upgrade entail?

The information from a technology scouting supports effective innovation management. Your company's capacity for innovation is improved by external ideas and technologies, irrespective of the size of your company and its research and development facilities.
Even if your innovation department has significantly fewer internal resources available compared to the competition, with well-prepared information on technologies, materials, or processes, you can make better decisions. It simplifies search area evaluation and idea conception, for example.

Why we are the right innovation partner

You know what is achievable and at what cost. We advise you drawing on our 20 years of experience as an innovation partner.

You gain knowledge advancement. Learn from other sectors and the experts from our worldwide lead user network.

You stand out from the competition. Our research team finds technologies for your market advancement.

Learn more about us

Innovation metrics for the holistic control of new things

Among other things, metrics in innovation management are used for achieving strategic objectives, and making the efficiency and effectiveness of innovation processes visible and communicable. You find the 'correct' parameters for your company by checking the available data situation as a first step. This involves both quantitative figures (e.g. sales figures) and qualitative data (e.g. employees' willingness to innovate).

When choosing the innovation KPIs, it is not about the volume of figures, but rather if they provide you with the requisite information for controlling innovation. Based on your innovation process, for example, consider which metrics are required and also used by the respective parties. If you have determined the most important metrics for your innovation management, you should check feasibility before you transition to implementing the new metrics.

The quality of innovation management or the financial success of new products or services, for example, are illustrated with the supplied information.

Important: concentrate on a few metrics that are appropriate for your organization and your innovation management.

Die Methoden

The lead user method

The driving force behind innovation is often advanced users with a sense for customer requirements and the markets of tomorrow. We use these attributes in the lead user approach: experts in our global lead user network enhance your innovation projects with a wealth of experience and active collaboration.

Service design

Customer-focused services leave a lasting impression. With the service design approach, we develop an understanding for customer expectations and needs together with you. With this knowledge, we design the interaction along the customer journey to be more intuitive. Consequently, you excite customers and trust in your brand grows.

Design thinking

Design thinking solves problems systematically and accelerates the innovation process. The customer-focused approach is suitable for the development of better products, services, and business models. In an iterative and agile design process, we analyze the problem, identify solutions, and test the result together with you.

Agile project management

With innovation projects, the result is mostly uncertain and requires agility, flexibility, and quick results. Agile project management simplifies the customer-focused development of high-quality innovations, especially in product development. Work in agile teams is efficient, and the results are quickly visible.

The innovation contest

The innovation contest allows new ideas to emerge in your company. An internal competition for ideas makes the creativity of your employees visible and unveils the unexpected potential of staff. You fill your ideas pipeline efficiently and with structure, while promoting a positive culture of innovation at the same time.

Innovation studio

In the Innovation Studio, we work together on the next big innovation from your company. When doing so, we take on the risks in the early phase of your innovation project. This way you reduce development costs and increase innovation success.

Innovationsprozess als Erfolgsfaktor einführen

Grundsätzlich geht es bei Innovationsprozessen in Unternehmen darum, einen klaren Rahmen zu schaffen, der festlegt, wie Ideen im Unternehmen eingebracht, wie sie weiterverfolgt und wie sie auf den Markt gebracht werden.

Innovationsprozess als Erfolgsfaktor einführen

Das House of Innovation

Weit hinten, hinter den Wortbergen, fern der Länder Vokalien und Konsonantien leben die Blindtexte. Abgeschieden wohnen sie in Buchstabhausen an der Küste des Semantik, eines großen Sprachozeans. Ein kleines Bächlein namens Duden fließt durch ihren Ort und versorgt sie mit den nötigen Regelialien.

Es ist ein paradiesmatisches Land, in dem einem gebratene Satzteile in den Mund fliegen. Nicht einmal von der allmächtigen Interpunktion werden die Blindtexte beherrscht – ein geradezu unorthographisches Leben. Eines Tages aber beschloß eine kleine Zeile Blindtext, ihr Name war Lorem Ipsum, hinaus zu gehen in die weite Grammatik.

“Viele Sachverhalte werden von uns intern als selbstverständlich wahrgenommen und nicht mehr hinterfragt. Oft hilft ein Blick von außen, um sich von alten Denkmustern zu lösen.”