THOUGHT LEADER HP INNOVATION FALL / WINTER 2022 15
2020
Revving Up The Internal Innovation Engine
Savi Baveja , HP ’ s Chief Strategy and Incubation Officer , on how to achieve startup-style businesses within a corporate environment through a dual approach to “ intrapreneuralism .”
illustrations by anthony gerace
WHEN YOU THINK OF “ corporate incubation ,” do you picture suits sitting around a conference table planning the “ next big thing ?” Or a collection of science-y types tinkering in a lab ? In fact , developing an internal hub for innovation is as much a cultural mindset as it is a space to create . Corporate incubation produces a dynamic “ intrapreneurial ” ecosystem that funds and develops its entrepreneurial talent , offering the agility and vitality of a startup while drawing on the existing knowledge , resources , and capabilities of the larger organization .
In today ’ s challenging environment , the majority of executive leaders will cautiously hunker down , focusing on addressing near-term threats while anticipating and planning for future scenarios . However , there is an alternative approach : embracing uncertainty as a motivator to aggressively pursue new business opportunities . That is the difference between deciding to look through the microscope ( near term ) versus looking through a telescope ( long term ).
Growing new businesses within a large corporation requires time and space to flourish . Day to day , that looks like fostering the right talent and mindset ; allowing the freedom to experiment with agility and speed ; and providing protection from the heavy procedural expectations of a large company . J
HP D300E DIGITAL DISPENSER BIOPRINTER Leveraging inkjet and microfluidics technology , the BioPrinter allows pharma companies and life science labs to “ print ” pharmaceutical samples for rapid iteration in volumes as precise as a picoliter . HP ’ s COVID-19 response included donating BioPrinters to NGOs and research institutions for vaccine development and antiviral drug and monoclonal antibody research .