1. Boost radical innovation
IBs boost radical innovation in Switzerland. Whereas incremental innovation improves an existing solution, radical innovation adds value by creating products, services or processes that solve user problems in a novel way.
2. Foster open innovation
IBs foster open innovation through collaborative, cross-sectoral activities open to interested participants with diverse backgrounds. They facilitate knowledge transfer by promoting a pragmatic and fair handling of intellectual property based on a balanced mix of trust and protection.
3. Ensure diversity
IBs recognise the diversity of perspectives and skills as a key driver of radical innovation. They ensure equal gender representation and the inclusion of diverse backgrounds in their alliance, committees and innovation teams as well as among their participants.
4. Promote a learning culture
IBs promote learning within their innovation communities. They help participants experiment, learn iteratively and ultimately share the learnings from their successes as well as failures in order to raise their capacity to generate radical and viable innovations.
5. Invest in problem exploration
IBs invest time and effort in assembling stakeholders from research, business, politics and society around a common challenge to explore relevant and meaningful problems. They help participants apply user-centric methods to gain a deeper understanding of a problem and discover opportunities for radical innovation.
6. Test ideas effectively
IBs facilitate the quick and effective exploration of ideas for radical solutions. They provide selected innovation teams with support to test the desirability, viability and feasibility of their idea before determining next steps: implementing an innovation project, pivoting or abandoning the idea quickly.
7. Make user-centricity key
IBs make user-centricity key both in problem and idea exploration. They ensure that participants possess the necessary methodological resources and skills to involve future users of their innovation and gain a deeper understanding of their pains and needs.
8. Prioritize sustainability
IBs take a holistic approach to sustainability and consider it as an important criterion in their activities. They strive to generate ideas for radical solutions whose implementation can have a positive impact on the sustainable development of society, economy and environment and work to prevent or mitigate negative impacts.
9. Maintain good governance
IBs set up a balanced and transparent organisational structure that facilitates fair processes and the active support of all their alliance members in clearly defined roles. They avoid conflicts of interest and set up mechanism for conflict resolution.
