IESE Insight - Innovation and Change

How profitable are bike-sharing systems?

Martínez, Sergi; Tapia, Albert; Bernardo, Valeria; Rodríguez Planas, Miquel; Ricart, Joan Enric For every 1 euro invested in urban bike-sharing programs, cities are seeing as much as 1.72 euros in return. Will this golden era of cycling last? A look at the economics, well-being and future directions on two wheels.

London, the smartest city in the world in spite of Brexit

Berrone, Pascual; Ricart, Joan Enric; Duch, Ana; Carrasco, Carlos Despite the uncertainty surrounding Brexit, the capital of the United Kingdom reigns as the world's "smartest" city, according to the IESE Cities in Motion Index 2019.

What is holding back tech licensing?

Moreira, Solon; Cabaleiro, Goretti; Reichstein, Toke New technologies could be commercialized to a greater extent than they currently are. But when competition is fierce and sunk costs run high, technology owners are reluctant to out-license. How might this reluctance be overcome?

How to get peak performance out of an innovation tournament

Camacho, Nuno; Nam, Hyoryung; Kannan, P. K.; Stremersch, Stefan Innovation tournaments have become a popular way to crowdsource new ideas from outside a firm. A study by IESE's Stefan Stremersch and colleagues reveals a surprising metric for tournament success, and why moderators may need to be cruel to be kind.

Better access to basic research could lend firms a competitive edge

Cassiman, Bruno; Veugelers, Reinhilde; Arts, Sam Companies serious about innovation need to think about where, and how, they access the building blocks to developing new ideas. Partnerships with educational institutions may provide the right context.

The recipe for success of El Celler de Can Roca

IESE Insight Joan Roca, the celebrated chef of the Michelin-starred restaurant El Celler de Can Roca, reveals the ingredients necessary for achieving world-class innovation.

Corporate venturing: give your CIO the gift of a full night's sleep

Prats, Mª Julia; Siota, Josemaria; Martinez-Monche, Isabel; Martínez, Yair We know corporate venturing is important, but applying it is the hard part. Many chief innovation officers suffer sleepless nights. Here are some solutions and good practices from Adidas, Intel and others who have gone before.

Six Innovation Pain Points and How to Overcome Them

Tietz, Matthias A.; Wong, Matthew A.; Rao, Jay; Chuán, Fran; Weintraub, Joseph Innovation can be a painful process, as the authors discovered from their survey of more than 20,000 employees in 140 firms. In asking what they did well and what needed to be improved, they identified six key pain points that often get in the way of innovation, and they propose remedies to build a strong, flourishing organizational culture of innovation.

How prepared is your business to make the most of AI?

Zamora, Javier; Herrera, Pedro To make the most of AI, you need to know the basics: what data do you need, and do you have the right people in place?

Corporate venturing: how much autonomy will maximize impact?

Prats, Mª Julia; Siota, Josemaria; Martinez-Monche, Isabel; Martínez, Yair When established firms and startups collaborate on innovation, getting the right mix of autonomy, control and integration isn't easy. This report identifies how corporate venturing is working and which key processes help maximize its impact.