Alan will reflect on how important innovations arise and will argue that new product creation shouldn’t always depend on unpredictable moments of creative genius. Thoughtfully and systematically mapping out the space in which you’re innovating can lead to a better understanding of what’s needed, a wider spread of better innovative ideas, and better technical solutions. Used wisely, these sorts of techniques also provide a great framework for circumnavigating the patent minefields that competitors create.

His talk will be illustrated to show examples of innovation mapping in practice.

Alan will cover:
. How do valuable innovations arise – does a genius innovation require a genius innovator?
. What are the intervention points where structured approaches can help us innovate?
. What do we mean by structured approaches to innovation?
(Specific techniques to help innovation teams to dream big, uncovering unmet needs, refining ideas, and improving invention skills).
. Real world examples where these approaches have created significant value.