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Innovation Strategy Services

07 Feb

Innovation and Strategic Growth Trends Survey

by Hunter O'Donnell
in Collaboration Software, Idea Management Software, Innovation Software, Innovation Strategy Services, Technology, Types of Innovation
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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Key Trends and Challenges Shaping Organizational Growth in 2025 [/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height="12px"][vc_column_text]Innovation is the engine of progress, and companies must continuously adapt to maintain a competitive edge. Organizations in 2025 are navigating AI-driven innovation, open collaboration, and strategic technology scouting to fuel their next breakthroughs. Ezassi’s Innovation & Strategic Growth Trends Survey explores the priorities, challenges, and emerging technologies shaping business strategies this year. Participants gain exclusive insights into industry benchmarks and future innovation roadmaps. Participation in this year's questionnaire was anonymous, and they received early access to the results, but now you too have access to best practices.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][qodef_separator position="center" color="#f2f2f2" border_style="solid" width="100%" thickness="2"][vc_empty_space height="12px"][vc_column_text] Results are in! Get your copy of the 2025 Innovation & Strategic Growth Trends Report [/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height="12px"][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width="1/4"][vc_empty_space height="12px"][vc_single_image image="21005" img_size="" alignment="center"][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width="3/4"][vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_empty_space height="12px"][qodef_separator position="center" color="#f2f2f2" border_style="solid" width="100%" thickness="2"][vc_empty_space][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="2/3"][vc_column_text] Why Your Innovation Strategy Matters in 2025 [/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height="12px"][vc_column_text]In an era of digital transformation, businesses must strike the right balance between short-term...

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21 Jan

Sustainability Innovation in Agriculture

by Matthew Heim
in Innovation, Innovation Challenge, Innovation Strategy Services
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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]A Path to Sustainable Growth:[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text] Conservation and Biodiversity in Corporate Food Production [/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height="10px"][vc_column_text]In a world increasingly aware of the environmental impact of human activity, the corporate food industry stands at a critical crossroads. Agriculture and food production are among the largest contributors to biodiversity loss, deforestation, and climate change. Yet, they also hold immense potential to drive meaningful innovative change by embracing conservation-focused practices and prioritizing biodiversity.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height="10px"][qodef_separator position="center" color="#e2e2e2" width="100%" thickness="2"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height="30px"][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width="1/4"][vc_single_image image="17607" alignment="right" style="vc_box_shadow_circle"][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width="3/4"][vc_empty_space height="20px"][vc_column_text css=".vc_custom_1737477443567{border-radius: 2px !important;}"]"Sustainability represents the foremost innovation priority for modern businesses. Even small, collective efforts by individual companies can result in a profoundly significant impact." - Matthew Heim, Ph.D.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height="10px"][qodef_separator position="center" color="#e2e2e2" width="100%" thickness="2"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="5/6"][vc_empty_space height="20px"][vc_column_text] Why Biodiversity Matters in Food Production [/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Biodiversity is the backbone of our ecosystems, supporting essential processes like pollination, soil fertility, water purification, and pest control. In corporate food production, biodiversity ensures the resilience of agricultural systems, safeguarding crops against...

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10 Jan

Drive Innovation: 8-Steps to Launch and Run a Startup Accelerator

by Matthew Heim
in Innovation, Innovation Strategy Services
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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Your Primer for Startup Acceleration [/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height="22px"][vc_column_text]Startup acceleration has been getting a lot of buzz lately in the realm of strategic innovation. Startup accelerators are emerging as almost commonplace with larger companies, and are used to foster innovation, support new, blossoming ideas, and build mutually beneficial relationships with those external entities that promise to bring new disruptive capabilities to market. Companies that cannot set up their own accelerators have access to a number of third-party Accelerators-as-a-Service. Startup acceleration, which differs from startup incubation, is designed to be a short sprint, allowing companies to select a few candidates based on specific needs or domain expertise, and provide the selected startup candidates with resources and time (typically 3-6 months) to develop a proof-of-concept, or pitch, resulting in either a go or no-go decision. Startups that are selected through the acceleration process may either be incubated (typically 1-5 years using various forms of funding), be...

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08 Jan

What is Business Model Innovation?

by Stephanie Creech
in Innovation, Innovation Software, Innovation Solutions, Innovation Strategy Services, Open Innovation, Technology, Types of Innovation
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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=""] What Is the Freemium Model and Why Does It Work? Freemium—a blend of “free” and “premium”—is a strategy where companies offer a basic version of their product at no cost to users, reserving advanced features or capabilities for those willing to pay. This approach is especially powerful in competitive industries like software and digital services, where high-quality products, strong gross margins, and expensive customer acquisition are the norm. The benefits of freemium include: Lowered Barriers to Entry: Because users can try out the base product risk-free, conversion rates often increase as people experience real value firsthand. Efficient Customer Acquisition: Freemium can significantly reduce marketing spend since happy users often become organic advocates, spreading the word and helping fuel adoption. Rapid Scaling: By attracting a wide pool of free users, companies have a larger potential customer base to convert into paid subscribers over time. Some of the most recognized examples of freemium in action...

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18 Dec

Strategic Pipeline Management

by Matthew Heim
in Innovation Strategy Services, Open Innovation
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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Are you one of the many innovation executives who struggle to determine which projects you should be working on first, and which ones should have the highest priority amongst others?  If so, then you are certainly not alone.  In fact, three out of five executives interviewed find this to be one of their top 5 challenges when managing their innovation pipeline.   Some innovation executives do not have a formal relationship with the business units (BU) or categories and are unable to gain a clear understanding of the potential business impact of a new development requirement.  Others struggle to determine which projects should be prioritized higher than others based on their return on investment (ROI).  Either way, there are a few simple steps that the innovation team can take that will help clarify innovation initiatives, deploy the right resources, ensure proper transitions, prioritize initiatives with the highest strategic impact, and assign...

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20 Nov

Idea Management as an Innovation Strategy

by Matthew Heim
in Idea Management Software, Innovation, Innovation Software, Innovation Strategy Services
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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Strategic Idea Management: Your Edge for Transformative Innovation [/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height="22px"][vc_column_text]It is undeniable that innovation is likely the single-most impactful means of staying ahead of the competition. However, generating innovative ideas and turning them into actionable solutions requires more than just creative thinking—it demands effective management of ideas, collaboration, and alignment with strategic goals. This is where idea management software and supporting business practices come into play.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height="22px"][qodef_blockquote text="Idea management software is a digital platform designed to capture, develop, prioritize, and implement ideas from employees, customers, or stakeholders." title_tag="h3" width="75%"][vc_empty_space height="22px"][vc_column_text]When leveraged effectively using integrated business processes, KPIs and collaboration, it becomes much more than a tool for idea collection—it evolves into a strategic asset that generates business growth, improves efficiency, and enhances organizational culture. Here’s how and why idea management can be a powerful strategic tool across the entire enterprise.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text] Idea Management for Innovation:  [/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height="22px"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="3/4"][vc_column_text] Fosters a Culture of Innovation One of...

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13 Nov

Product Lifecycle Management

by Matthew Heim
in Innovation, Innovation Strategy Services
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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Product-Lifecycle Management 2.0 [/vc_column_text][vc_column_text] A Kaizen Approach to Market-Driven Innovation [/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text]In today’s competitive business environment, companies are under constant pressure to innovate, streamline processes, and improve product quality. One powerful way to achieve these goals is by applying the principles of Kaizen—the Japanese concept of continuous improvement—to Product Lifecycle Management (PLM). By viewing PLM as a Kaizen loop, organizations can foster a culture of ongoing innovation and refinement, ensuring that products evolve in line with customer needs, technological advances, and market demands. In this blog, we’ll explore how managing Product Lifecycle Management as a Kaizen loop can drive better results, improve efficiency, and lead to the creation of superior products that resonate with customers.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text] What is Product Lifecycle Management (PLM)? [/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height="22px"][vc_column_text]Before we dive into how PLM can benefit from a Kaizen approach, let’s define what PLM is.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height="22px"][qodef_blockquote text="Product Lifecycle Management is the process of managing the entire lifecycle of a product from inception, through...

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08 Nov

Innovation Analyst for Technology Research

by Matthew Heim
in Innovation, Innovation Software, Innovation Strategy Services, Open Innovation, Technology, Technology Landscape, Technology Scouting
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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] The Risks of Sole Reliance on LLMs and AI in Technology Discovery: Why Human Expertise is Still Essential [/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height="22px"][vc_column_text] LLMs and AI tools are inadequate as primary technology discovery tools. A human analyst to validate technology search results, conduct crucial subject matter expert interviews, and evaluate unique ideas from experienced, creative employees and stakeholders through open innovation challenges will prove to be the best approach to a fully developed innovation management strategy. [/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]In today’s world of rapid technological advancements, businesses are constantly racing to identify and adopt breakthrough solutions that can give them a competitive edge. AI-driven tools like large language models (LLMs) have emerged as powerful engines for uncovering information, scouring vast data sets in seconds, and generating insights that would otherwise take weeks to gather. However, as efficient as these tools are, they can create a false sense of security in the New Product Development arena. Successful technology discovery demands...

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technology market fit
25 Oct

Technology-Market Fit

by Matthew Heim
in Innovation, Innovation Strategy Services, Intellectual Property, Technology, Technology Landscape, Technology Scouting
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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Revitalizing Dormant IP: Strategies for Monetizing Overlooked Assets [/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height="10px"][vc_column_text] Get Off Your |IP| Assets and Make some Money! [/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height="10px"][vc_column_text]New product research is at the core of all manufacturing companies today, but what most don’t realize is that, regardless of industry, they are sitting on up to 50% of their intellectual property assets with no plans for their use.  This often results when a company pursues technologies specific to one product, and that technology is not a fit, causing it to be shelved with no further plans for its use.  In other words, they are missing out on any opportunity for alternative revenue streams for the company.  Many companies will intentionally sit on their IP assets in order to safeguard themselves from others who may try to pursue similar capabilities, keeping them at bay with the potential for a prior-art lawsuit, but most of these underutilized assets are a result of a...

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26 Sep

Invest Year-End Budget in Technology Discovery Reports to Fuel 2025 Innovation

by Matthew Heim
in CPG Industry, Food and Beverage Industry, Innovation, Innovation Challenge, Innovation Strategy Services
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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Unlock Innovation Now and Implement in 2025 [/vc_column_text][vc_column_text] Maximize Your Year-End Budget with Challenge-as-a-Service [/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height="10px"][vc_column_text]As we enter Q4 of 2024, many companies are looking for smart ways to allocate their remaining budget while setting the stage for success in the new year. Ezassi’s Challenge-as-a-Service (CaaS) offers the perfect opportunity to drive innovation and solve pressing business challenges before the year ends. By launching an ideation challenge now, you can gather insights and develop solutions that are ready for implementation in 2025—ensuring that your investment in innovation delivers long-term value and growth.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height="10px"][qodef_separator position="center" color="#e2e2e2" width="100%" thickness="2"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height="30px"][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width="1/4"][vc_single_image image="17607" alignment="right" style="vc_box_shadow_circle"][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width="3/4"][vc_empty_space height="20px"][vc_column_text css=".vc_custom_1727268555103{border-radius: 2px !important;}"]"Launching a new ideation program can be a complex task, but using a Challenge-as-a-Service approach provides a focused, low-risk entry point. It allows companies to test the waters with minimal investment, ensuring they gain both experience and valuable insights before committing to a full-scale rollout." - Dr. Matthew...

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