Open Innovation

Long-term strategic vendor relationships are the key to bring successful innovations to market.

Innovating Procurement | Connecting Ideas, Driving Results

Open innovation thrives on collaboration. Engage with external experts, from universities to peer companies, vendors, to access valuable skills and knowledge. Utilizing licensing to incorporate external technologies quickly, and explore ventures and acquisitions to strengthen strategic position through shared expertise and resources.

What I did in respect to Open Innovation

Devised and implemented open innovation procurement programs and developed pilot plants for proof of concept.
Leveraged Pre-Commercial Procurement (PCP) to reverse engineer and launch new products and services.
Secured foreground IP in collaboration agreements with fundamental research institutions in Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, and Norway.
Collaborated extensively with cross-disciplinary engineering (chemical, mechanical, digital, physics, material science) teams to design, integrate, and optimize complex systems.
Managed intellectual property, business intelligence, and sales agent contracts globally.
Reduced the lead time of projects by 47% by introducing an AI R&D support partner program for landscape search, technology scouting, and prior art & literature review to define technology development roadmaps.

Read how I evolved in open innovation while in Procurement

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Key Strategies for Procurement-Driven Open Innovation:

Vendor / Supplier Collaboration: Engaging suppliers early in the product development process allows companies to tap into their specialized expertise and innovative technologies. This collaboration can lead to the co-creation of products that offer unique value propositions.
Crowdsourcing Solutions: Utilizing open innovation platforms to pose specific challenges can attract a diverse range of problem solvers. This method broadens the pool of ideas and accelerates the identification of viable solutions.
Innovation Competitions: Organizing competitions among existing or potential suppliers can incentivize the development of innovative solutions tailored to the company's needs. This approach not only fosters creativity but also strengthens supplier relationships.
Technology Scouting: Actively searching for emerging technologies and potential partners beyond the current supplier base can uncover opportunities for innovation that may not be immediately apparent.

Benefits of this Integration:

Accelerated Time-to-Market: Externally sourced innovations are often already validated, allowing for faster commercialization compared to internally developed ideas.
Risk Mitigation: Collaborating with external partners can reduce the risks associated with innovation, as these partners may have already addressed feasibility concerns.
Cost Efficiency: Leveraging external innovations can lead to cost savings in R&D and product development, as companies can adopt existing solutions rather than developing new ones from scratch.

Inspired by McKinsey’s open innovation framework, I focus on:

✔ Supplier Innovation & Technology Scouting – Identifying and integrating breakthrough solutions from external partners.
✔ Strategic Vendor Engagement – Strengthening supplier relationships to co-create solutions.
✔ Risk & Compliance Management – Ensuring procurement strategies align with governance frameworks and operational goals.
✔ Process Optimization & Change Management – Leveraging data-driven insights to streamline vendor interactions.In today’s dynamic world, procurement is no longer just about cost savings—it’s about sourcing innovation. I specialize in bridging procurement and open innovation, ensuring that organizations leverage cutting-edge technologies, supplier-driven solutions, and strategic collaborations to stay ahead of the curve.

With a background in strategic procurement, vendor management, and process optimization, I have worked across multi-disciplinary teams to drive efficiency, mitigate risks, and implement supplier-led innovations that enhance business value.

Inspired by McKinsey’s open innovation framework, I focus on:

✔ Supplier Innovation & Technology Scouting – Identifying and integrating breakthrough solutions from external partners.
✔ Strategic Vendor Engagement – Strengthening supplier relationships to co-create solutions.
✔ Risk & Compliance Management – Ensuring procurement strategies align with governance frameworks and operational goals.
✔ Process Optimization & Change Management – Leveraging data-driven insights to streamline vendor interactions.