GEORGES HAOUR

Dr Georges Haour is Professor of Management at IMD, Switzerland. He also acts as an adviser to companies on effectively managing innovation. Born and raised in Lyon, France, he holds a PhD in Chemistry from the University of Toronto, Canada. Prior to IMD, for nine years, he managed a 35 staff business unit at Battelle, in Geneva, carrying out innovation projects funded by firms. He has 8 patents and more than 100 publications. His latest book is on innovation in China, titled Created in China; how China is becoming a global innovator (London, 2016). Release of the mandarin version: early 2017, by CITIC Press, in Beijing. His previous books are: Resolving the Innovation Paradox (2004) and From Science to Business (2011), both with Palgrave, London.

The Digital Tsunami

These days, when migrants arrive at a refugee camp, one of the first things they ask for is access to WiFi and electricity to recharge their cell phones. Their smartphone is as basic a resource for survival as food and water. This is a vivid reminder of the fact that we are fully immersed in a digital world.

China – Hotbed of Innovation for our Planet in the 21st Century?

Never has the world witnessed a large market emerge so quickly as China has. As the economy grows it is also changing. China is fast climbing the value curve, transitioning from low-cost manufacturing to innovation-led growth. In telecommunications, supercomputing, life sciences, non-fuel energy sources and “green-tech” in general, there is already a vibrant innovation/research and development (R&D) scene.

2019-10-15T15:12:38-07:00January 9th, 2013|Categories: Organization & Culture|Tags: , , , , , , |

Innovative Switzerland

Switzerland is more innovative and entrepreneurial than generally thought. The world holds on to the caricature of Heidi and of utterly dull bankers, evoked by Helmut Schmidt, many years ago: “Europe is not governed by the gnomes of Zurich”. We forget the implications of the fact that the Swiss national hero is the ultimate rebel: Wilhelm Tell; and rebellion is companion of innovation.The strong Swiss franc and the weak state of the economies of its trading partners will make 2012 difficult, but Switzerland scores tangible successes: prosperity, low debt, reasonable growth, public budgets in the black, low unemployement and trade surplus. This miniature model of Europe must be an inspiration for the EU to become what it should be: the world’s most successful region in the 21rst century.

Effective Innovation Management? Back to Basics!

For years, management and business schools have vastly exaggerated the importance of tools and theories in delivering innovations to the markets effectively. As common sense indicates, the overwhelmingly important predictor of success for an innovation is not the use of tools, “innovation frameworks”, or handbook of rules, but the quality of leadership of the project and the talent and motivation of the staff carrying it out. In innovation management, we need to go back to basics.

The State of Innovation Investment

As western countries jump further into the embrace of open innovation, countries in Asia are forging ahead with innovation investments through R&D. R&D spending is up 27% in India and 40% in China, year on year but in decline globally. Georges Haour runs a rule over the numbers and what they mean for the outlook of the enterprise.

2021-12-02T07:54:40-08:00February 3rd, 2011|Categories: Blog Archive|Tags: , |

The Explosive and Profitable Growth of Infosys

As we look for models of corporate success, the European and North American management establishments need to become much less ethnocentric and more curious about Asia’s ascending actors. This article takes a closer look at the success of a Bangalore-based firm in global outsourced IT services. Infosys is a striking example of successful, rapid, profitable growth.

From Science to Business – How Firms Create Value by Partnering with Universities

In today’s “knowledge-based” society, it is becoming increasingly imperative for companies to “mine” knowledge and technology generated by universities. Why? Because the outcome of such industry-university collaborations help companies create new activities and jobs.

Defining an Innovative Firm – It is Much More Than Technology

Innovation is very much the word of the moment. We hear it used in science, the arts, in politics, in society, and often for good reason. For example, the creation and building of the European Union, is one of the most innovative – and indeed frustrating – processes in history. So what actually is innovation? Read more in this article by IMD professor Georges Haour, IMD, one of the world's top business schools.