Innovation Management and Championing Processes
Summary
Innovation management refers to the systematic organisation and coordination of activities that generate, evaluate and implement new ideas, products or services. It spans the full innovation lifecycle, from idea generation through prioritisation, development, testing and commercialisation. Central to effective innovation management is the engagement of innovation champions—individuals or small teams who actively promote and guide projects, secure resources, build coalitions and overcome organisational inertia. Championing processes typically involve identifying opportunities, mobilising stakeholder support, navigating formal stage-gate reviews, and sustaining momentum through iterative feedback loops. Contemporary approaches integrate agile methods, design thinking and lean startup principles to enhance responsiveness and learning speed. The global significance of robust innovation management and championing processes lies in their capacity to drive competitive advantage, foster sustainable technologies and address societal challenges. Practical applications range from deep-tech commercialisation in university spin-outs to digital transformation in healthcare, with champions serving as boundary spanners who translate technical potential into organisational value.
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Innovation Management and Championing Processes publication trend
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Technical terms
Innovation management: The coordinated set of practices and structures that govern the generation, development and implementation of new ideas and offerings.
Innovation champion: An individual who actively promotes an innovation, securing resources and stakeholder buy-in to navigate it through organisational processes.
Stage-Gate process: A project management framework dividing innovation projects into discrete stages separated by decision gates, where progress is reviewed against predefined criteria.
Distributed championing: A model in which multiple actors share responsibility for promoting an innovation, performing complementary advocacy roles across different stages.
Social capital: The resources embedded in relationships and networks that facilitate collective action, information exchange and support for innovation initiatives.
References
- New product development process and case studies for deep-tech academic research to commercialization. Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (2023).
- Sustainable technology development during intellectual property rights commercialisation by university startups. Asia Pacific Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (2023).
- INNOVATION CHAMPIONS’ ACTIVITIES AND INFLUENCES IN ORGANISATIONS — A LITERATURE REVIEW. International Journal of Innovation Management (2021).
- Distributed IT championing: A process theory. Journal of Information Technology (2021).
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