An innovation-focused scenario process — A case from the materials producing industry

The significance of innovation for sustainable performance of companies, as well as entire economies, is indisputable. The proactive management of innovations has proven to be a central driver of sustainable long-term competitiveness. More recent research concentrates on the ability of corporate foresight to increase the innovation capacity of a firm. We contribute to this field by showing the development and implementation of a tailored scenario process for innovation management that has been implemented at a leading global manufacturer of high performance materials for their innovation field of future logistics. Our demonstration includes all phases from visualisation of contextual scenarios to market scenarios of target groups to new product concepts and finally concrete business models. In order to increase the innovation capacity in the scenario process we integrated a Delphi-expert survey, participatory workshops and an open network approach. The scope of our scenarios was global in nature as were the nationalities of the experts that took part in our innovation-focused scenario process. Represented countries included among others European countries, BRIC States and the USA.

► The scenario process can be modified to enhance the innovation capacity of a firm.
► High complexity and dynamism (dynaxity) demand for new solutions and innovations.
► Delphi enriches the scenario process for innovation generation and assessment.
► A creative award facilitates the scenario transfer to innovation significantly.
► An innovation-focused scenario process benefits from open network approaches.