Take the lead through working together: that is what this book is all about. It is an invitation to CEOs, executives and R&D managers of SMEs who have been around for quite some time and who want to make sure their company is future-fit and thriving.
The era of doing everything yourself is over and done with. Companies that cut themselves off from the outside world are a thing of the past. The future belongs to organisations that are experts in their field and that collaborate across organisational boundaries with other experts, to the benefit of all parties: a win-win situation, or rather, a win-win innovation.
But how do you go about doing this? Which organisations are the right partners for your company? What type of partnership should you go for? What if you want to increase market share, while your partners want to get their research project approved or drive social progress: is collaboration even possible?
Based on their own experience, the authors show you how to set up successful collaborations, however complex they may be, and equip you with a wide range of practical tools, such as checklists and exercises.
Combining Piet Verhoeve’s business and innovation competencies with Helga Deschrijver’s know-how from the academic and the social profit world has resulted in a fruitful collaboration that is in itself an excellent illustration of “win-win innovation”.
