Self-organized innovation management in the digital age

The research project InnoDiZ aims to test an online platform for virtual inter-company collaboration that will support internal innovation processes. Measurable increases in the quality and rate of process and product innovations are expected. The central starting point is the inter-company further training of specialists and executives to become innovation managers or innovation actors, in order to establish a self-organized innovation management based on agile change management in one's own company.

The development of competence, combined with the direct application in concrete SME innovation projects, takes place with the support of a digital learning and collaboration platform, which is self-renewing through constant updates by the users and therefore always remains up-to-date. In the course of the project, this platform will be equipped with qualification content for innovation management, an agile SME method case and virtual learning and meeting rooms for inter-company networking. The whole thing will be enriched with case studies from the day-to-day business of the companies. The effectiveness of the methodology used will be evaluated at different times during the project via interviews and online surveys and the methodology will be adapted according to the results.

This results in new forms of inter-company cooperation and internal working methods that promote the initiation of innovative products and services. With the active involvement of regional IHKs and industry associations, the results will be disseminated to other SMEs after the end of the project. In this way, a stable virtual innovation network can be established to strengthen the innovative strength of small and medium-sized enterprises in Germany.