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Developing New Routines for Managing Discontinuous Innovation

Project Descriptions

There is now a relatively stable picture of what constitutes 'good practice' in managing innovation, which is increasingly used as a reference model against which to audit and develop performance. This prescription works well for the 'steady state' conditions where the innovation challenge involves; doing what we do, but 'better' but it is less effective under discontinuous non-equilibrium conditions. Indeed, as the work of a growing number of writers suggests using 'steady state' routines to try and deal with these conditions may actually compound the problem. This project aims to identify emerging 'good practice' routines for dealing with discontinuous conditions such as the challenge of radically new technology, the emergence of new markets or combination of case studies, surveys and 'live experiments' within specific enterprises.

The Discontinuous Innovation Laboratory (DILab) was originally established in the UK in 2005 as an experience-sharing forum for companies and academic researchers interested in exploring the new and revised management capabilities needed to deal with innovation ‘beyond the steady state’.  From the original network of 30 companies and 5 researchers network has grown to include 12 countries, around 150 companies and 35 academic institutions. See www.innovation-lab.org for more details.

In operation the underlying metaphor of a laboratory is important – the core format involves workshops at which experiences and shared and approaches explored and diffused.  In between these meetings (which take place on a quarterly basis) there is extensive case study/interview based research using a common research framework.  The purpose has been to identify not only core themes and practices but explore the variety in their application under a number of different sectoral and operating contingencies.

Project Leader

John Bessant - AIM Senior Fellow, Imperial College

Project Members

Professor Poul Kvysgaard-Hansen - Aalborg University

Professor Kathrin Moeslein - HHL - Leipzig Graduate School of Management

Professor Frank Piller - Aachen University and MIT

Professor Helmut Schoenenberger - Technical University Munich

Professor Peter Augsdorfer - FH Ingolstadt / ESC Grenoble

Professor Sylvie Blanco, ESC Grenoble

Professor Mats Magnussen, Chalmers University, Gothenburg

Professor Bjorge Laugen,  Stavanger University, Stavanger

Professor Pekka Berg, HUT, Helsinki

Professor Paul Hyland, University of Queensland, Brisbane

Professor Ross Chapman, University of Western Sydney

Professor Jose Albors, Politecnic University, Valencia

Professor Petra De Weerd-Nederhof, University of Twente


Project Outputs

Bessant, J. and B. Von Stamm (2007). Twelve search strategies which might save your organization. London, AIM Executive Briefing.

Birkinshaw, J., J. Bessant, et al. (2007). "Finding, Forming, and Performing:

Creating Networks for Discontinuous Innovation." California Management Review 49(3): 67-83.

Philips, W., Noke, H., Bessant, J. and Lamming, R. (2006). 'Beyond the steady state: Managing discontinous products and process innovation.' International Journal of Innovation Management, 10 (2).

White, A. and Bessant, J. (2006). 'Change is closer than it seems'. Financial Times, Mastering Uncertainity Supplement, London: March

Bessant, J. and Francis, D. (2005). 'Deal with Discontinuity: How to sharpen up your innovation act'. AIM Executive Briefing Series.

Bessant, J., Lamming, et al (2005). Managing Innovation Beyond the Steady State;. Technovation, 25 (12): 1366-1376

For further information regarding this project please contact the AIM Fellow below:

John Bessant - Imperial College, London


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