Recently, I had the honor and privilege of participating in the Innovation Program for Ibero-American Capital Cities at CEU University in Madrid, where I was invited as a guest lecturer to deliver two sessions:
“Building Innovative and Value-Generating Organizations” and “Open Innovation and Innovation Networks.”
The program journey included real-world case studies from Argentina to South Africa, passing through Dubai, and gave me the opportunity to present the INNOVATION360 framework, which we actively use in both Sweden and the UAE.
As an innovation expert with over 20 years of experience across industries—from tech companies to public administrations—my mission in this program was to strengthen organizational innovation capabilities for sustainable growth. I discussed how the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) can be embedded in innovation projects, showing that even in times of crisis, innovation can lead to positive, measurable outcomes.
I defined innovation in alignment with ISO 56000, as a new or improved entity that creates or redistributes value, and covered its applications across business models, management systems, organizational structure, processes, products, and services.
We explored types of innovation—incremental and radical—highlighting that organizations oriented toward radical innovation tend to show better financial results and faster growth.
I also emphasized that 50% of the global GDP depends on innovation, and its impact is critical not only for consumers but also for employee engagement and loyalty.
Many companies in the S&P 500 praise innovation in theory, but fail to execute it—often resulting in collapse or disruption by external forces or startups, as was the case with Kodak.
Open Innovation, Collaboration, and Leadership
During my session, we examined the power of collaboration beyond organizational boundaries, leveraging a diverse range of perspectives and often reducing costs.
We discussed innovation speed, and how to remove bottlenecks by redesigning the metrics we use.
We also addressed challenges such as:
- Managing collaboration and protecting intellectual property
- Ensuring contribution quality
- Balancing stakeholder input and avoiding conflicts of interest
I emphasized the importance of idea recognition, which is often overlooked—especially in the public sector, where innovation is not always celebrated with fanfare, but still demands consistent effort across the structure.
We introduced the Triple Helix model of open innovation—linking government, private sector, and academia—and shared inspiring examples:
- BQS Green Tech (Argentina): transformed a beach resort into a green tech innovation hub
- Green Teach (Austria) and the ICN (International Clean Cluster Network, Norway): cross-national partnerships in sustainability
- Fix the Planet: a digital platform powered by Ideation360, used to collect sustainable ideas
- Isaías’ Public Innovation Program in South Africa: implemented the Innovation360 framework to transform one of the world’s largest municipalities through strategic leadership and public innovation metrics
The Innovation Playbook and Leading the Future
I closed my lecture by stressing the need for a clear innovation playbook in both public and private organizations. A portfolio divided by uncertainty into three innovation horizons, each led with the right mindset and leadership, offers a solid structure to prioritize and drive innovation forward.
Thank you, CEU University, for the opportunity to contribute to the growth of today’s and tomorrow’s innovation leaders.
We are building a more creative and resilient world together.
Open innovation and co-creation are powerful tools for solving complex problems and creating value in new and unexpected ways. I hope my reflections inspire others to explore these methodologies and help foster stronger, more resilient innovation ecosystems.
🧠 I discuss this and many other topics in my book:
COMMANDING CHANGE: A Board Role in Strategic Innovation
📚 Link to the book: https://www.innovationmoguls.com/commanding-change/
Register to access the book and unlock a full ecosystem of tools for innovation, strategy, and value generation in your products and services—based on proven industry concepts.
