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Case Studies: S-U

Case Studies

Here you can find a variety of case studies on the subject of innovation.
 

Some of these are written by us, and others by collaborators and colleagues. To discuss any of these studies further please do get in touch via our contact page.

Mobile Phone

Samasource

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.

Mobile Phone

Samasource from a User Perspective

A further look at Samasource from a user perspective.

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Securities and Exchange Commission

Case study exploring an innovation failure within the SEC.

Patentability Search

Search strategies for peripheral vision

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.

Full Moon

Shell and Gamechanger

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. 

Bright Idea Bulb

Sicap (part of Swisscom)

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.

Abstract

Siemens

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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Sky

Skunk works case

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. 

Computer Programming

Spirit

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

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Stadtwerke Kiel

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)

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Supply chain learning

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

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Sustainability and innovation

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.

Green Buildings

Sustainability-led innovation

This is a case about sustainability-led innovation.

Cleaning Supplies

Sweeping the floor with innovation

This is a blog piece on Sweeping the floor with innovation.

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Taobao.com

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

Picking Colors

Tesco Fresh and Easy

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

Music Recording Studio

The making of 10cc’s ‘I’m not in love

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.

Clothes on Rack

Threadless

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

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Tidewave

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

Electronic Wires

Torotrak

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

Image by Kate Trifo

Tupperware

This is a blog piece on Tupperware.

Hospital

University Hospitals Bristol

Case illustrating the possibilities of learning from failure.

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Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)

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

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