Abstract:

We are currently experiencing a very dynamic, turbulent time across society. It is characterized by processes of change driven by megatrends such as digitalization, sustainability, decarbonization, and demographic shifts. In global competition, organizations in many industries are therefore forced to adapt to these developments and promote innovations even more than in the past. They are under pressure to reinvent themselves again and again in order to survive in the face of change. The ability of organizations to realize innovations has therefore been the focus of research for some time.

It has been shown that many good approaches and ideas fail on the way to implementation in a new business model, in innovative products or in more efficient or effective processes. However, this is only partly the result of technical and methodological reasons. It is often the organization and the people themselves that hinder successful implementation. As a result of this finding, research and, to some extent, corporate practice describe the use of so-called innovation managers to overcome barriers to innovation. Their competencies are primarily digital, technological, and methodological ones.

In contrast, the authors propose an extension to include holistic-systemic and more "human-centered" capabilities such as soft skills and team leadership. The innovation manager thus becomes "innovation manager +"”, who keeps an eye on the overall process, including ecological and ethical implications.

This paper deals with the development of a competency framework for the role of the so-called "Innovation Manager +". It starts by reviewing the state of the art in relevant innovation research. In the next step, perspectives, contents, assumptions, and prioritizations for important skills are identified in order to derive a new competence framework. Furthermore, it is discussed how an implementation based on the competence framework could look like in the organization. In this context, personnel development and career management, as well as university and company training and further education, are taken into account.

Keywords:

Post-graduate Education, Digital Transformation, Innovation, Human-Centered Innovation Management.