5 Companies that Inspire, Impress on Innovation

Here comes a list of my current favorite companies that inspire and impress me on innovation.

The list is by no means based on in-depth research. It is based on actions, initiatives or shared insights of these companies over the last month or so – and thus what I believe could inspire other companies.

1. GE – for continuously developing the Ecomagination challenge

The challenge is highly successful and now they are even launching a specific challenge for China. GE has created a very interesting innovation vehicle – which also doubles as a good PR tool – and they are right in to continuously push it forward to create more value for themselves and their partners.

2. LEGO – for showing how open innovation and crowdsourcing can work together

The company is not only doing amazingly well in this crisis. They are also experimenting with new ways of working together with partners and users.

3. Philips – for having a thoughtful approach on open innovation

Many companies have learnt that the key element of open innovation is not a fancy portal or destination site, but the infrastructure within the company. The real work happens behind the scene and my interactions with Philips tell me that they are doing a good job here. More in this blogpost…

4. Blendhub – for giving a glimpse of the future

As the world continues to get ever more connected, we are starting to see smaller communities that focus on specific topics and intersections. Blendhub aims to become the open innovation hub for the food ingredients industry. It is a nice example of the kind of platforms that will pop up in big numbers in the coming years.

5. The X company – based on your suggestion…

Times are tough for corporate innovation units and I have difficulties identifying interesting initiatives. Perhaps you can help. What company would you recommend to fill the fifth spot on this list? Drop a comment…