Case Studies: S-U

Case example of social innovation in the humanitarian context. Samasource was an idea developed to enable refugees to participate in the wider economic system using mobile technology and earn money to support themselves.

A further look at Samasource from a user perspective.

Case study exploring an innovation failure within the SEC.

A report looking at how a variety of companies and public sector organisations are exploring at the edges of their environment. It describes experiences with a wide range of search strategies to help identify and anticipate discontinuous innovation.

Like many large organizations Shell has experimented with a variety of approaches to corporate venturing, trying to diversify the business and anticipate emerging developments in technology and markets. 

Interview with Armin Rau, responsible for innovation strategy at SICAP, a spin-off from the Swiss telecomms player Swisscom. You can find the transcript of the interview here.

An innovation overview of the giant German corporation

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You can find the audio version of this case here

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In June 1943 the war in the air over Europe was intensifying.  And one particular threat emerged which sent shock waves around the Allied forces – the appearance in the skies of the Messerschmidt Me262 ‘Sturmvogel’ (Stormbird), the world’s first mass-produced jet fighter/bomber. 

History of a Russian software company from its entrepreneurial foundations to its current role as a major global player in digital signal processing software.

Changing the innovation culture in Stadwerke Kiel: A study on developing entrepreneurial culture at Stadwerke Kiel.

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SWK company magazine article (in German)

A look at the history of the guitar over time and the many different patterns of innovation which have shaped and continue to shape it as what has become a major global industry

In this case pack you can find a number of examples of supply chain learning in practice.

Video of an interview with Michael Pitts, Sustainability Manager with the UK Technology Strategy Board (now called InnovateUK). In this interview he talks about some of the challenges around sustainability and innovation.

This is a case about sustainability-led innovation.

This case explores the history of something mundane - sweeping floors.  But this is a huge industry and one which has seen major changes over thousands of years, and continues to demonstrate typical patterns of innovation including incremental and radical, and architectural and component change.

This case describes the highly successful online retailing platform linked to AliBaba, the Chinese software giant.

Challenges in Retail Innovation - Aspects of Innovation in Tesco plc’s Market Entry into the USA.

An iconic song, originally recorded back in the 1970s but still widely heard today and used in film soundtracks and other applications.  This case looks at the creative conflicts which led to its emergence.

Case study of start-up which uses crowdsourcing to operate a business model ofr deisgn and product selection.

A detailed longitudinal case (video and transcripts) charting the progress of a start-up from a student entrepreneurship project to a successful medical device business in Norway.

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You can find an audio version of this case here

A business founded on breakthrough technology but still trying to secure a strong competitive position through the careful deployment of that knowledge.

A powerful example of social innovation, involving mobilising translation services to help in crisis situations.  Modelled on the well-known Medecins sans Frontieres TWB operates by drawing together volunteers to provide innovative responses to language challenges in disaster contexts.

Trashin is a Brazilian company focused on sustainable waste management and circular economy solutions. They detail Trashin's evolution from an online marketplace for recyclables to a comprehensive service provider offering waste management, reverse logistics, and sustainable event solutions, emphasising their carbon-neutral operations.

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Click here to listen to a (downloadable) podcast about the case

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And click here for an AI-enhanced version of the case with study guide, interactive exploration and coaching, mind-map, timeline, quizzes, etc.

This is a blog piece on Tupperware.

Case illustrating the possibilities of learning from failure.

Explores the case for seeing UAVs (drones) as a disruptive innovation and the 'not invented here' challenges posed to mainstream players in aviation