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  • © 2017

Bridging the Innovation Gap

Blueprint for the Innovative Enterprise

  • Presents a completed and seamless end-to-end innovation process, ready for implementation
  • Establishes a model that allows companies to organize innovative activities and prepare for new challenges
  • Lays out the rules on how to bridge the innovation gap to enable systematic innovation in practice
  • Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras

Part of the book series: Management for Professionals (MANAGPROF)

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Softcover Book USD 79.99
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  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
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Hardcover Book USD 79.99
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  • Durable hardcover edition
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Table of contents (12 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xxi
  2. The Origins

    • Daniel Huber, Heiner Kaufmann, Martin Steinmann
    Pages 1-8
  3. The Problem

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 9-9
    2. Innovation: An Abiding Enigma

      • Daniel Huber, Heiner Kaufmann, Martin Steinmann
      Pages 11-19
    3. The Missing Link: The Innovation Gap

      • Daniel Huber, Heiner Kaufmann, Martin Steinmann
      Pages 21-41
    4. “Good Management” in Enterprises Today May Be Blocking Innovation

      • Daniel Huber, Heiner Kaufmann, Martin Steinmann
      Pages 43-49
  4. The Solution

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 51-51
    2. The Organizational Structure: The Innovative Enterprise

      • Daniel Huber, Heiner Kaufmann, Martin Steinmann
      Pages 53-91
    3. Exploration

      • Daniel Huber, Heiner Kaufmann, Martin Steinmann
      Pages 93-120
    4. Managing Innovators

      • Daniel Huber, Heiner Kaufmann, Martin Steinmann
      Pages 121-129
    5. Exploration and Strategy

      • Daniel Huber, Heiner Kaufmann, Martin Steinmann
      Pages 131-139
    6. Conclusions and Rules Drawn from Part II

      • Daniel Huber, Heiner Kaufmann, Martin Steinmann
      Pages 141-142
  5. The Implementation

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 143-143
    2. Rules for Systematic Innovation: The Bern Innovation Model

      • Daniel Huber, Heiner Kaufmann, Martin Steinmann
      Pages 145-154
    3. Final Remarks

      • Daniel Huber, Heiner Kaufmann, Martin Steinmann
      Pages 155-159
    4. The Research Method (Annex)

      • Daniel Huber, Heiner Kaufmann, Martin Steinmann
      Pages 161-168
  6. Back Matter

    Pages 169-182

About this book

This book offers fresh insights into innovation management and its prerequisites. Based on these insights, the authors present a new and proven innovation system, which is being used in practice and has the potential to significantly increase the ability of enterprises to innovate. Starting with the innovation dilemma that enterprises face, the book analyses the concept of innovation as it is (mis)understood in practice, and identifies the missing element in current innovation theories - the innovation gap. Further, it asks whether today's enterprises are well suited for innovation and then describes a solution to the problems identified. The book also introduces a new and important element of the revised innovation process called “Exploration”. From leadership issues to building a strong innovation model, it offers state-of-the-art knowledge, which can significantly boost the chances of innovation succeeding in enterprises.



Authors and Affiliations

  • Mühlethurnen, Switzerland

    Daniel Huber

  • Münsingen, Switzerland

    Heiner Kaufmann

  • Bern, Switzerland

    Martin Steinmann

About the authors

Daniel Huber is the Director of the Management Center at Bern University of Applied Sciences, Professor of Innovation Management and of the University’s Executive MBA program in Innovation Management. Prof. Huber has directed the development of the program in innovation since 2008. He graduated from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich with an advanced degree in Engineering and completed an advanced degree in Management at the International Institute for Management Development (IMD) in Lausanne. During his work spanning 20 years at Swisscom’s innovation division, he gained an in-depth understanding of innovation as it is practiced in large enterprises. He has many years of experience in various areas of innovation management. Working together with two other managers, he was responsible for setting up Swisscom Innovations, an innovation unit with around 180 employees. Prof. Huber is a member of the Board of Directors of swissfuture, a Swiss association of futurologists.


Heiner Kaufmann is a Professor of Business Creation at the Management Center of Bern University of Applied Sciences and Director of the University’s Executive MBA program in Innovative Business Creation. He completed academic programs at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Lausanne and at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Boston, USA. Prof. Kaufmann worked for almost twenty years as a manager and project manager in a number of high-tech companies, particularly in the areas of innovation and research & development. He is the founder of a startup enterprise and an innovation consulting company that was later acquired by the innovation factory Creaholic SA in 2012. In recent years, Heiner Kaufmann succeeded in developing a new learning and teaching concept for business conception.


Martin Steinmann has been a successful Business Enabler in the area of information and communications technology (ICT) for more than 25 years. He has positioned himself as a skilled interpreter at the interface between technology and business. Steinmann has also been an independent enterprise consultant in the area of strategy and innovation management since 2002. His clients include prominent major corporations and numerous ambitious medium-sized enterprises. Prior to his current work, he was employed in various management-level positions at a number of international companies. Martin Steinmann has a degree in Economics and Business Administration from the University of Fribourg (International Institute of Management in Telecommunication). With his extensive experience, he has gained an excellent reputation as a solution designer and coach, especially in start-up situations. In addition to this, he works as an expert and thesis adviser for Master’s theses in EMBA in Innovation Management at the Management Center of Bern University of Applied Sciences.


Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: Bridging the Innovation Gap

  • Book Subtitle: Blueprint for the Innovative Enterprise

  • Authors: Daniel Huber, Heiner Kaufmann, Martin Steinmann

  • Series Title: Management for Professionals

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-55498-3

  • Publisher: Springer Cham

  • eBook Packages: Business and Management, Business and Management (R0)

  • Copyright Information: Springer International Publishing AG 2017

  • Hardcover ISBN: 978-3-319-55497-6Published: 24 May 2017

  • Softcover ISBN: 978-3-319-85677-3Published: 28 July 2018

  • eBook ISBN: 978-3-319-55498-3Published: 17 May 2017

  • Series ISSN: 2192-8096

  • Series E-ISSN: 2192-810X

  • Edition Number: 1

  • Number of Pages: XXI, 182

  • Number of Illustrations: 77 b/w illustrations

  • Topics: Innovation/Technology Management, Business Strategy/Leadership, Knowledge Management

Buy it now

Buying options

Softcover Book USD 79.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book USD 79.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access