The case recounts how Ivo Rutten, Head of Ventures at Philips Lighting, embarked on a journey within the company (now Signify) to promote his idea for a new technology, which he hoped would solve a common technical problem in shipping: biofouling. Biofouling is the colonization of a ship’s hull by organisms such as algae and mussels, causing degradation. Ships and other underwater structures, such as oil pipes and drilling platforms, all suffer from this phenomenon. The case starts by describing the innovation and venturing processes at Philips Lighting. Rutten tried to find a strategic fit for ShipShape (a project based on his idea) with the company’s mission and to identify which key players within the organization would willingly contribute to further developing and deploying the technology. Then he focused on analyzing and testing the idea to demonstrate its feasibility. Rutten had made great progress, from conceiving the idea to getting a proof of concept. But with some technical and commercial uncertainties still remaining, he knew the road ahead would be bumpy – ShipShape might not even survive the review process. The better he prepared, the greater the chance would be that the venture would survive.
Based on field research; 17 pages
Follow the 'handle' link to access the Case Study on RePub.
For EUR staff members: the Teaching Note is available on request, you can contact us at rsm.nl/cdc/contact/
For external users: follow the link to purchase the Case Study and the Teaching Note.
1. Understand and analyze corporate innovation and venturing process. This case provides the opportunity to dive into an established company’s venture process. By studying and discussing the case, students will be able to understand and analyze the innovation process of a large company reflecting on the theories picked up in previous innovation courses. How does Philips Lighting’s strategy facilitate innovation? How does the company capture and deliver the value it creates? 2. Realize the social and cognitive dynamics surrounding the innovation process. Through this case, students will get a clear perspective on how individuals act when facing (disruptive) innovation. Furthermore, students can also explore how the environment changes when being introduced by a new idea.
