The European Commission defines it clearly: Innovation is the process, including its outcome, by which new ideas respond to societal or economic needs and demand and generate new products, services or business and organisational models that are successfully introduced into an existing market or that are able to create new markets and that contribute value to society. In reality, however, organizations and European innovation agencies alike treat innovation as natural outcome of research. The simple logic is: the more research, the more innovation. Thus the challenge for organizations as well as for innovation agencies boils down to another ascertainment by the European Commission: We need to do much better at turning our research into new and better services and products if we are to remain competitive in the global marketplace and improve the quality of life in Europe.

Francisco Varela once stated: The know-what is only used to get started, but it is the know-how that counts and that is going to be transformative. It is in this line of thinking that we support organizations and innovation agencies in making use of state-of-the-art innovation processes, particularly U process, design thinking, lean startup and social labs to overcome the shortcomings of the outdated linear model of innovation. 

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