Publications
Publications
- December 2016 (Revised April 2017)
- HBS Case Collection
BASF: Co-Creating Innovation (A)
By: V. Kasturi Rangan, Emilie Billaud and Vincent Dessain
Abstract
In 2016, BASF's chief executive officer and chief technology officer reflected on the co-creation innovation program started almost 18 months ago as part of BASF's 150th anniversary celebration. Five hundred project ideas had been created, of which 100 had already moved to the company's conventional R&D funnel. Thirty-four had been short-listed for further consideration. At least 10, if not more of these projects, would receive "landmark" funding running at an average of 1 million Euro each. Beyond selecting the right projects, how could the CEO and CTO ensure that a complex organization such as BASF would encourage such fresh ideas to be developed and nurtured in the future? Was this experiment something that BASF should do again in the future?
Keywords
Sustainability; Knowledge Sharing; Innovation Strategy; Innovation and Management; Chemicals; Environmental Sustainability; Collaborative Innovation and Invention; Consumer Products Industry; Europe
Citation
Rangan, V. Kasturi, Emilie Billaud, and Vincent Dessain. "BASF: Co-Creating Innovation (A)." Harvard Business School Case 517-073, December 2016. (Revised April 2017.)