How to create an innovation strategy. The case of Cerbios-Pharma SA
Author
Galli, Massimiliano
Term
4. term
Publication year
2012
Submitted on
2012-06-06
Abstract
This thesis documents the formulation of an innovation strategy at Cerbios-Pharma SA, a medium-sized Swiss manufacturer of active pharmaceutical ingredients, aimed at improving the quality of innovation proposals and aligning efforts across the company. The work draws on a four-month, practice-based project using an actors approach (Arbnor & Bjerke) combined with a broad review of literature on innovation, innovation management and corporate strategy (including Tidd & Bessant, Mintzberg, Wernerfelt, Hamel & Prahalad, and Teece & Pisano) as well as customer-centricity (Galbraith). These perspectives were integrated into a process to clarify the role of innovation strategy within Cerbios, formulate an intended strategy, and set up monitoring for emergent opportunities. During the project, innovation and customer-centricity were separated into distinct strategies to better fit the company’s context. Initial implementation over several months suggests the strategy addressed the issues identified at the outset, although findings should be viewed cautiously given the researcher’s limited experience. The thesis offers both a consolidated overview of relevant theory and a practical, context-aware approach that can inspire similar firms seeking to develop an innovation strategy.
Dette speciale dokumenterer formuleringen af en innovationsstrategi i Cerbios-Pharma SA, en mellemstor schweizisk producent af aktive farmaceutiske ingredienser, med det formål at forbedre kvaliteten af innovationsforslag og skabe bedre koordinering af indsatsen på tværs af virksomheden. Udgangspunktet er et praksisforløb på fire måneder, hvor en aktørtilgang (Arbnor & Bjerke) blev kombineret med en bred litteraturgennemgang af innovation, innovationsledelse og virksomhedsstrategi (bl.a. Tidd & Bessant, Mintzberg, Wernerfelt, Hamel & Prahalad, Teece & Pisano) samt kundecentricitet (Galbraith). Disse perspektiver blev integreret i en proces for at afklare innovationsstrategiens rolle i Cerbios, formulere en tilsigtet strategi og etablere overvågning af omgivelserne for fremvoksende muligheder. Undervejs blev innovation og kundecentricitet adskilt i to strategispor for bedre at passe til virksomhedens behov. Den indledende implementering over flere måneder tyder på, at strategien adresserede de oprindelige udfordringer, om end resultaterne bør tolkes med forsigtighed på grund af forskerens begrænsede erfaring. Specialet bidrager med både et oversigtsblik over relevant teori og et anvendeligt, virksomhedsnært forløb, som kan inspirere lignende virksomheder til at udvikle deres egen innovationsstrategi.
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