The goal scorers and assist makers of innovation networks

Innovation is the result of talent and financial resources invested by a company. However, talent and R&D investment alone are not enough to guarantee success in generating innovations. In fact, even with the same level of human capital and R&D investment, some organizations are significantly more innovative than others.

Beyond resources, innovators need the right context for their talent to flourish, one where, alongside them, there are other key players, each contributing in different ways.

Innovation arises from the convergence of knowledge, skills, and insights that act as multipliers of intellectual resources and sharing opportunities; this takes place in relational networks that are often informal. As studies on innovation dynamics show, sharing knowledge and resources in such networks amplifies the benefits of collaboration. It’s not just about bringing together diverse skills but about identifying the most effective ways to integrate them. When this happens, the outcome far exceeds the sum of individual contributions: development accelerates, errors decrease, and the overall impact on the system is maximized.

However, without an effective system of connections, even the most talented individuals may remain underutilized, regardless of the resources available to them. This means that recognizing the value of networks and investing in their strategic development and management is paramount.

But not all roles in a network are the same. Not everyone excels at everything, but that doesn’t mean their contributions are trivial. While innovators often receive much attention in academic and managerial literature, those who enable them to excel tend to be overlooked.

Yet some research has highlighted the importance of key figures known as “innovation catalysts,” individuals who, though not necessarily innovators themselves, facilitate knowledge  aggregation and integration in an organization to support the work of innovators. Case in point, in the R&D lab of a major multinational company and leading innovator, the presence of these catalysts in a network has been shown to enhance, and in some cases even double, the productivity of the people who are generating new ideas, measured in terms of the number of patents they produce within a given period.

To use a football metaphor, the goal scorer may be the hero, but the player providing the assist is just as essential, if not more so.

Fostering innovation requires a shift in perspective: Organizations must promote environments where diverse skills are valued (intra-company networks) and where connections between universities, businesses, startups, and ecosystems  are strengthened (inter-company networks).

The Network Innovation Lab (NI Lab) at SDA Bocconi, supported by founding partner STMicroelectronics, was established to analyze and understand the role of networks in innovation processes, both within and across organizations. Encouraging the development of networks that drive innovation means laying the foundation for more dynamic and sustainable growth, where new ideas emerge and flourish, finding the ideal conditions to become concrete realities, benefiting organizations and their surrounding communities.