He Blazes Trails for More Innovation and Networking

Bengt Johansson is R&D manager for Uponor in Sweden and represents the company in Innovation Pioneers. In addition, Bengt is elected to serve as Chairman of the Network for a year. We asked him some questions about that and more.

What does innovation mean for Uponor?

- Specifically, it is for us to keep one step ahead of our rivals by developing our products, methods, customer partnerships and other areas of business development. One example is that we have developed unique control system for floor heating and indoor climate.

We have also discovered that it is essential to tie together knowledge and skills from different industries and areas. We have seen success in working with "guerrilla tactics", which is that we have let teams be broken out from all the usual daily work and just focus on special projects in a free manner.

Why did Uponor commit itself as a member of Innovation Pioneers?

- We were recommended to join the network through personal contact. It was crucial since personal relationships are built on trust. Then the network appeared to consist of impressive skills and experiences from several well-known companies that are ahead in innovation.

For the group we had identified the need that we must be active in product development. To do and think different in an industry that could easily be characterized by conservatism and a risk of stagnation in our own tracks. We have also seen how disruptive innovation can up end everything swiftly. So we want to be active even when other conditions apply and not just be reactive. We want to be innovative.

What has the network provided for you and Uponor?

 - We have been involved in several members- only-meetings and the network's Symposium-Innovation in Action 2010. The two main values ​​we conceive is: being a part of the network itself and to participate in a larger context. Member meetings are often in the form of workshops and company visits to other members. Then we can directly see and share with each other methods, experience and knowledge. We learn from each others' challenges, solutions and can directly put it into our own business. In addition, I get an essential perspective when I see that many others share the same problems, challenges and situations that I do, even if it is in completely different areas and businesses.

We must be involved in discussions and get understanding of innovation at the cutting edge and we get just that with Innovation Pioneers. We listen to others and contribute as much as we can.

The membership has influenced the development fundamentally in the way we engage our customers and invite them actively to take part in product development. Something we learned thru the network.

As Chairman, what is your outlook for the Network the coming year?

- When I took over as Chairman I listed four areas of importance:

• The composition and membership stock must be large enough all the time for there to be a dynamic exchange among members. We need a good level of committed members.

• Finding the right structure and enough structure that makes it easy for companies to engage in the network as members and for new members to enter.

•  Internationalization is crucial because many of the companies that are members are international or global. The discussion on innovation does not stop at the borders of Sweden. I believe we have found a way to take a first step towards internationalization, it is necessary.

• The last point is a question and that is - if the network needs a distinctive profile? It is an issue we will address.

When it comes to innovation, what would you like to evolve?

- It’s about understanding customers' underlying needs, known as Customer Insight. What lies behind what the customer says that they really need? Having dialogue with customers is one thing but being one step ahead and understand their future needs is interesting to develop. I've seen it in entirely different industries. One example is how online shopping companies in cosmetics get unique data and information by inviting customers actively in a process that can track and understand emerging trends before they are realized. This is highly interesting and should be able to translate to other industries, like ours.