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b'Co-innovation is a common term used in the innovation space. It describes two organizations of any kind that come together to innovate in an area of common interest. I am not only talking about collaboration. Co-innovation seeks to deliver a result such as a product or service. There is a 50-50 contribution with this model, whether that\\u2019s money, people, labs, etc.
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\\nCo-Innovation Partner: Corning
\\nDuring my tenure at HP, co-innovation played a vital role in the company. The amount of money it took to accelerate acted as a barrier to innovation. Corning was the co-innovation partner in this case.
\\nThe project we did with Corning was around gorilla glass, which we improved and expanded for more uses. Next, we worked on bending glass displays to limit eye strain. We built a frame and figured out how far we could bend the glass before it would break. This project led to the curved displays, which are now commonly used. With the constant acceleration of time and costs, finding partners with the knowledge you don\\u2019t readily have is key to\\xa0fueling innovation.
\\nInnovating with a Co-Innovation Partner
\\nThe first tip is to choose a partner with\\xa0strong cultural alignment. During this time, you will be working very closely with your co-innovation partner. By alignment, I mean how they manage, oversee, and support their teams and what they expect from them.
\\nIt is also essential that both organizations grant similar autonomy to their teams. If one organization gives a lot of independence and the other micromanages, there will be unneeded friction.
\\nBeyond people, you need to look at how the potential partner treats their customers and sells them. At HP, there is a very relaxed selling approach, but not all organizations are like that. You need to think about these things and figure out if you are willing to align with a company that approaches customers differently.
\\nNext, it\\u2019s crucial to discover what the mission objective of the organization is. If one\\xa0organization\\xa0is all about numbers and the other is about improving lives, there is no alignment. If you don\\u2019t have a strong culture alignment with your co-innovation partner, your chance of success is slim to none.
\\nSecond Tip
\\nThe second tip is to define the area of focus carefully. There needs to be a substantial overlap of focus. Think of this as a Venn diagram, where your business has an area you want to focus on to achieve success. Your partner also has an area of focus where they want to achieve success. The area where these two spheres overlap is the general area of focus for this co-innovation effort.
\\nBoth organizations must have a committed interest in the common area and aware of each essential contribution. Co-innovation partners need to bring value and combine them to create a breakthrough.
\\nThe third part of tip two, which I can\\u2019t stress enough, is the need for mutual dependency. It would be best to find an area of focus where you need each other to\\xa0solve problems. If one can do it on their own, then it is not a co-innovation effort.
\\nMy Final Tip
\\nTip number three is to secure proper sponsorship and support. The key here is to create a true partnership built on trust. In the HP and Corning co-innovation effort, I was the executive sponsor and Wendell Weeks, the Chairman and CEO at Corning, was their sponsor. I can tell you that Wendell and I talk regularly and are good friends even to this day. This level of trust and relationship was built from this project and led to...'