About Innovation Way
R&D, research tax credit, innovation funding, creativity, Fablab, Living Lab, innovation strategy, intellectual property management, Design Thinking, Agile Methods... A variety of tools are available to assist companies in becoming more innovative, yet none can be considered a guarantee of success. The development of an effective system requires a clear understanding of how to utilise the most valuable tools in order to maximise value creation.
Tools and methods for consulting and innovation
Innovation Way is a leading player in the development and dissemination of the “Innovation Management System” concept in France and internationally. By engaging with political decision-makers, universities, support structures and companies, we aim to facilitate the evolution of the entire ecosystem, creating greater value for all.
Founded in 2017, Innovation Way has its roots in the research conducted by the ERPI Laboratory – Research Team on Innovative Processes at the University of Lorraine. The company’s initial objective was to promote a tool developed by the laboratory to assess companies’ capability to innovate. We have always believed that it is important to succeed in an innovation project, but even more crucial to be able to innovate again. For this reason, we have consistently been involved in the long-term development of company practices.
Our involvement in the standardisation work of ISO TC 279 – Innovation Management has led us to adopt the term “Innovation Management System” and to develop our products and services in order to accompany the spread of the ISO 56000 Series standards, in particular ISO 56002 and ISO 56001.
We quickly identified a clear need for IMS in companies, but found that demand remained limited due to a lack of awareness of this approach. Implementing IMS also required specific knowledge and skills that are not commonly found in a support ecosystem focused on project support (usually looking for funding and technical partners). Innovation Way is a leading player in the development and dissemination of the “Innovation Management System” concept in France and internationally. By engaging with political decision-makers, universities, support structures and companies, we aim to facilitate the evolution of the entire ecosystem, creating greater value for all.
This has led us to innovate ourselves by developing a number of products for understanding, evaluating and improving the company’s Innovation Management System (IMS), and marketing them to all the players in the innovation ecosystem in France and internationally.
This dynamic has also led us to develop numerous partnerships, to become involved in various networks and to work with numerous international organisations (ISO, United Nations, African Union, WIPO, etc.).
In a short period of time, Innovation Way has gained recognition for its expertise and its ability to make its services accessible to a global audience. It has become a leading global reference for the development of innovation management systems.
Innovation Way and Iso 56000 Series standards
The head of Innovation Way has been involved since the committee’s creation and currently chairs the international standardisation committee ISO TC 279 – Innovation Management.
It is not immediately apparent that “Innovation Management” and “Standardisation” are directly related. If innovation means going beyond boundaries, then it would make no sense to determine a framework for doing so.
However, it is widely acknowledged that a formalised strategy is beneficial for innovation, that creativity is an important factor, that a network and financial agility facilitate innovation, and so on. Therefore, there are key success factors for deploying an innovation dynamic.
Standardisation work is a framework that enables hundreds of experts from all over the world to debate these ingredients. Together, they seek to establish what constitutes a consensus and summarise their work in standards that list all the factors that facilitate the emergence and development of innovations and characterise their interactions.
The scope of such tools is significant, as they provide a common framework, vocabulary and reference systems for all players on a global scale. They also facilitate benchmarking and the sharing of practices between organisations.
Innovation Way, and in particular its founder Johan Claire, became involved in standardisation work very early on, joining ISO TC 279 the year it was set up. Recognised for his expertise, pugnacity and dynamism, Johan was quickly appointed to lead the French delegation in the international work to draft ISO 56002:2019 – Innovation Management System – Guidances. He was subsequently elected to lead the working group responsible for drafting the ISO 56002 Handbook, which was co-published by ISO and UNIDO (United Nations Industrial Development Organization).
In January 2022, Johan Claire continued his rise within the International Committee by being appointed Chairman of ISO TC 279. The committee now has over 300 experts from a about 77 countries.
Chairman's editorial
Changes in the world continue to put pressure on businesses and societies. It is now recognised that we need to act as much as possible to limit certain changes, particularly in the climate, but also to develop our capacity to adapt.
The answer to these two goals is the same: we need to innovate more and better!
Companies need to make innovation part of their DNA, but you can’t just change your DNA… It can only be the result of evolution.
The international standardisation work on the IMS is an excellent tool for accelerating this evolution, and I am proud that Innovation Way is playing a major role in developing and disseminating this approach.
Each of our organisations can and must be part of this dynamic. Innovation Way has chosen to do this by making it easier for everyone to take action, using tools and methods!
Johan CLAIRE
Founder and CEO of Innovation Way
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Innovation Way in the world
More than 300 games deployed in 5 languages across every continent.
Hundreds of diagnostics performed by our customers every year in French, English and Spanish.
Over 2,500 people trained through the Systematic Innovation Management programme.
Carried out on all continents, in direct contact and through international organisations such as ISO, the United Nations, the African Union, etc.
Training tailored to meet your individual needs and cultural context.
Our clients
A growing number of universities, companies, public organisations, consultancy companies and international organisations are adopting the IMS topic, with many of them utilising our tools. Collectively, we represent a dynamic and vibrant ecosystem. Join the movement!
