Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering IAO
Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering IAO

Fraunhofer Group for Innovation Research

What are the emerging topics in the field of innovation research? And how can these benefit people and innovation systems in business, science and research, public administration, and society at large? The member institutes of the Fraunhofer Group for Innovation Research generated a host of answers to these and other questions in 2019. Among them were three highlights.

The aim of the Fraunhofer Group for Innovation Research is not only to follow proven approaches to innovation research but also to pursue new and interdisciplinary paths by pooling their resources. The group comprises Fraunhofer IAO, IMW, INT, IRB and ISI as member institutes, and Fraunhofer IIS as an associated institute. Together, the member institutes provide a broad spectrum of expertise, methods and approaches from the fields of socioeconomic and sociotechnical research. The group creates a platform for member institutes to exploit synergies, to present a joint public face and help shape key future trends in innovation research.

© Gorodenkoff Productions OU - iStock / Fraunhofer IAO
 

Foresight Fraunhofer focuses the spotlight on 51 technological issues

On behalf of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, Fraunhofer IAO teamed up with the other members of the Fraunhofer Group for Innovation Research to identify key future trends in the field of applied research. In a foresight process, the group examined technological and social developments for their innovation potential and their relevance to specific research disciplines and industrial sectors. A number of spotlight topics such as geo-engineering were the subject of intense debate. The publication can be downloaded free of charge.

15th Symposium for Foresight and Technology Planning

In concert with Germany’s National Academy of Science and Engineering (acatech) and the Heinz Nixdorf Institute at the University of Paderborn, the Fraunhofer Group for Innovation Research organized the 15th Symposium for Foresight and Technology Planning, held on November 21-22, 2019. The Fraunhofer Group contributed a number of practical presentations from the field of innovation research. Topics included mobility in disruption, marketing frugal innovations and analyzing the impact of organizational bias on innovation management and decision-making processes. The 16th symposium will take place in Berlin on November 19-20, 2020.

Card game “Innovate like...”

“Innovate like...”

“Innovate like…” is a card game that was unveiled by the Fraunhofer Group for Innovation Research in 2019. It is designed to help companies adopt different perspectives and thereby become receptive to new ideas. The 31 cards portray a wide variety of “innovation heroes,” each of whom is depicted with a short quote and four typical characteristics. The card game offers a playful method of learning to look at problems from a different angle.