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Understanding innovation management challenges

Innovation is crucial for businesses to stay competitive, but managing it effectively is often complex and unpredictable. Traditional research methods in innovation management, like case studies and surveys, have been criticized for being too descriptive and focused on past events, which limits their applicability in today's fast-changing world. Innovation requires new methodologies adapting to dynamic environments and fostering real-time, actionable insights.

Collaborative inquiry, a method emphasizing participatory and reflective practices, has emerged as a promising approach in organizational studies. This method allows researchers and practitioners to work together to generate rigorous and practical insights. The study explores how collaborative inquiry can be applied in innovation management, mainly through the lens of platform thinking, which has been successful in digital business models like Airbnb and Uber.

Leveraging platform thinking for innovation

This research aimed to investigate how collaborative inquiry and platform thinking can be combined to overcome the limitations of traditional research methods in innovation management. The study aimed to develop a framework that could enhance the practical relevance of research while maintaining academic rigor.

The researchers focused on a case study of the IDeaLs research platform, which collaborates with multiple companies to explore cutting-edge innovation questions. This platform uses a collaborative research approach, integrating principles from action research, collaborative management research, and design science research to foster a co-creative environment between researchers and organizations.

"One key difficulty we faced was ensuring that the collaborative research environment remained dynamic and adaptable to the changing needs of participating companies. Balancing academic rigor with practical relevance was a constant challenge," said Professor Roberto Verganti of the House of Innovation.

Key research findings

• The Collaborative Research Platform Approach (CRPA) effectively addresses the constraints of traditional research methodologies by creating a dynamic, co-creative research environment that bridges theoretical knowledge with practical applications.
• Platform thinking enhances collaborative inquiry by providing a structured approach to managing multi-stakeholder research projects, enabling more generalizable and relevant research outcomes.
• Organizations reported an enhanced ability to implement actionable insights from research, influencing real-time decision-making processes and fostering a culture of innovation.

Implications for the future of research and practice

This study's findings contribute significantly to innovation management by introducing a new research approach that combines platform thinking with collaborative inquiry. This framework can potentially improve the applicability and scope of innovation research, offering a robust model that enhances engagement and utility across academic and business domains. Future research could explore applying this approach in other management research fields, potentially leading to broader societal benefits through improved innovation management practices.

"By promoting a culture of inclusivity and practical impact, our research has the potential to drive meaningful change across multiple sectors, ultimately benefiting society as a whole," remarked Dr. Verganti.

Meet the researchers

• Daniel Trabucchi: School of Management, Politecnico di Milano
• Paola Bellis: School of Management, Politecnico di Milano
• Tommaso Buganza: School of Management, Politecnico di Milano
• Filomena Canterino: School of Management, Politecnico di Milano
• Abraham B. (Rami) Shani: California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
• Roberto Verganti: House of Innovation, Stockholm School of Economics
• Joseph Press: Parsons the New School for Design, New School University