it
tBl INNOVATION
Brewing
Innovation
HEIN EKEN has made great progress in embedding a culture of innovation within its
organisation and delivering against its ambitious in novation-rate target It is now looking to
connect with creative minds outside the Company. Ellen Bark, Global Commerce Innovation
Programme Manager, discusses HEINEKEN's new Open Innovation platform and the Ideas
Brewery' challenge launched earlier this year.
T
here is a whole world of
talent outside HEINEKEN,
and today's social media
culture gives us a way to access it. The
HEINEKEN Ideas Brewery is about casting
our net wider, tapping into new talent and
combining it with our own expertise. This
will enable us to generate bigger, better
ideas faster," she says.
What Is Open Innovation?
"Open innovation can mean a lot of
things. It can range from very intense
cooperation with one partner - for
example, researching or developing a
specific product - or it can involve a
wider audience, inviting hundreds or even
thousands of people to collaborate. This is
called 'crowd sourcing', and that's exactly
what we're hoping to achieve with the
HEINEKEN Ideas Brewery."
The platform was launched in April,
and during its pilot year HEINEKEN will
organise three challenges. Each challenge
will be aimed at a relevant target
group, from consumers and technical
experts, to universities and suppliers.
The first challenge relates to sustainable
packaging. "We're targeting industrial
designers and technical students around
the world, via key websites where these
people are part of the conversation,
through our cooperation with industrial
design supersite, Core77, and the
international online magazine, Shift."
The winner of the first challenge will be
awarded $10,000. Collaboration will also
be recognised, with $1,000 presented to
the three best contributors. In addition,
HEINEKEN will leverage its powerful
brand. "We truly believe that the sheer
idea of being involved with HEINEKEN will
be motivation in itself," says Ellen. "Lastly,
while we can't guarantee that an idea will
make it to the market, the possibility that
it might is also very appealing."
World of HEINEKEN Quarter 3 2012
