DSM: Mobilising The Organization To Grow Through Innovation Case Solution And Analysis, HBR Case Study Solution & Analysis of Harvard Case Studies

IMD-3-2111 © 2009
Deschamps, Jean-Philippe; Tolstoy, Daria

In February 2009, Rob van Leen, Chief Innovation Officer (CIO) of DSM-- a world leader in life sciences and products sciences-- felt his business had actually made a great deal of development in the method it handled innovation considering that changing itself from a product chemical business to a high value-added specialized chemical business. A lot stayed to be done to attain the enthusiastic natural development target of EUR1 billion through innovation, which was set by leading management as part of its "Vision 2010" program. Management left many of its development and innovation objective to its company group (BG) directors, it likewise counted on its prominent "Corporate Innovation Center," under van Leen's management, to promote, sustain the business and guide's innovation drive.

In the 3 years considering that its production, the Corporate Innovation Center and its numerous innovation and innovation management systems had actually ended up being functional. Van Leen felt a number of difficulties continued to be: 1) The Innovation Center had actually been developed to produce ingenious brand-new companies and assist the numerous BGs accomplish practical quality in innovation. It explains one method, i.e. the empowerment of a strong Chief Innovation Officer and setting up a broad variety of innovation improving activities within a devoted Innovation Centre.

Subjects: Innovation management and governance; Role of the Chief Innovation Officer; Company and portfolio transformation; Entrepreneurship and venturing; Innovation governance mechanisms; Business unit autonomy vs. central organization; Mobilizing and incentivizing people; Culture change
Settings: The Netherlands; Europe; Life Sciences; Materials Sciences; 23’500 employees and €9’297 million in sales in 2008; 2006-2009