One of the biggest challenges we find in innovation is managing the Fuzzy Front End - that challenging space at the earliest stages of innovation. Often, we come across organisations with a broad understanding of what they intend to develop, but who find it difficult to articulate it in detail. How do we move from the ‘feel’ of what’s needed to something concrete? How do we ensure everyone is aligned around the same mission, though they come at it from different directions? How do we ensure that what we deliver meets the customer need, and not simply our perception of it?

An organisation’s use and application of knowledge is becoming ever more important. Many industries are seeing increasing challenges, which in turn demand highly co-creative solutions. Innovation has always relied heavily on knowledge – especially in the creative crucible where radical ideas first form – but this reliance intensifies as the focus shifts from single inventions to a complex mix of many high-value technologies