Project Context and Scope

As part of defining the long-term strategy for a global pharmaceutical company, the head of research engaged Catenion to help assess the strengths and weaknesses of the company's innovation model.

Approach:
2 Partners, 1 Consultant, for 3 Months

Catenion supported an internal client team that was looking at the the quality and quantity of innovation coming out of research. Catenion provided:

• An assessment of barriers to innovation built into the way the organisation worked
• External benchmarking and analysis of the innovation models of
  • Peer pharmaceutical companies
  • Successful academic institutions
  • Other industries

The Catenion team interviewed 80 employees, representing a cross–section of the client's research organisation at seven sites in Europe and North America.

The analysis was complemented by a quick scan of the innovativeness of the current and past research pipeline and showed clear issues at the levels of structure, processes, governance and incentives.

Key Benefits to the Client

• Catenion's findings were initially met with skepticism from the team, which was eventually won over and became a major driver for change in the organisation.
• The barriers to innovation became clear, as well as the steps to overcoming them.
• As a result, the client embarked on a major redesign of the research organisation.