Innovation
Turn disruptions, ideas, and new technologies into concrete opportunities for growth and value creation.
To be truly effective and organization-wide, we must innovate to have a positive impact on business growth by further engaging talent and employees.
Innovation Consulting Firm
In an environment marked by rapid technological advancement, changing consumer behaviors, and a growing number of market disruptions, innovation is no longer just about developing new products. Companies must be able to anticipate change, explore new areas of growth, and quickly turn identified opportunities into concrete solutions.
As an innovation consulting firm, iQo helps companies define their innovation strategy and implement it operationally: identifying trends and early warning signs, strategic innovation, open innovation, developing new products and services, experience design, prototyping, intrapreneurship, and transforming the innovation culture.
Our approach combines strategy, foresight, design, technology, and industry expertise to enable organizations to move from intuition to experimentation, and then from experimentation to impact.
Our Expertise in
nd Innovation Consulting
Innovation Strategy
We work with senior management and innovation teams to develop a strategy that turns market shifts and technological disruptions into opportunities for growth.
- Defining the innovation roadmap
- R&D strategy design in conjunction with innovation units
- Optimizing innovation processes
- Observatoire Mondiale de l'Innovation (IWO) - Market trends study: innovation watch and weak signal monitoring system.
- Identifyingbusiness opportunities from data
- Creating new business models that reconcile meaning, viability and feasibility.
Open Innovation
Innovation is increasingly taking shape at the intersection of multiple ecosystems.
We help companies identify partners who can help accelerate their projects and determine the most appropriate terms of collaboration.
- Developing and accelerating ecosystems
- Networking and collaboration with partners (companies, startups, academics, etc.)
- Support in setting up consortiums
- Launch of intrapreneurship programs
- Scouting and international screening of startups and techies, organization of innovation competitions & worldwide calls for projects and Hackathons
- Startup development: startup studio and incubator
- Financing & Financing research for innovative projects
INNOVATION IN PRODUCTS, SERVICES, AND EXPERIENCES
Innovation must address a real need and create a value proposition that is distinctive enough to be adopted.
We support teams in the design and validation of new products, services, and experiences.
- New product design
- Designing new services
- Customer Experience Design/ Customer Journey
- Solution prototyping and POC management
- Facilitation of innovation sprints
Our approach allows us to quickly test an idea against user expectations and reduce the risks associated with developing new offerings.
PROTOTYPING AND SCALING UP
Innovation doesn't stop at the idea or the proof of concept. We support companies through each stage, using a proprietary methodology that enables them to move from experimentation to a deployable solution.
- Scope of the Experiments
- Design Sprint
- Rapid prototyping using the Dream Plan Design methodology
- POC
- MVP
- Real-World Testing
- Measuring Value
- Iterations
- Business Case
- Preparing for Scaling
- Deployment Support
INTRAPRENEURSHIP AND A CULTURE OF INNOVATION
A company's capacity for innovation also depends on its ability to engage its employees.
We help organizations create an environment that fosters the emergence, testing, and implementation of new ideas.
- Intrapreneurship Programs
- Participatory Innovation
- Enhancing the value of innovation initiatives
- Innovation events
- Innovation training (mindset, tools) and bootcamps
- Organization ofimmersions / Learning Expeditions (France, USA, UAE, China)
- Acculturation to Design Thinking and innovative methodologies
- Implementing organizations conducive to the deployment of innovation
TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION AND NEW APPLICATIONS
Rapid technological advancement is opening up new areas of experimentation for businesses: artificial intelligence, robotics, the Internet of Things (IoT), immersive technologies, new interfaces, Web3, and disruptive technologies.
We help organizations distinguish between passing trends and technologies that have the potential to bring about lasting transformation in their industries and business models.
- Technology Watch
- Exploring Emerging Technologies
- Identifying Use Cases
- Agent-based AI and Generative AI
- Data and New Analytical Capabilities
- Disruptive Technologies and Deep Tech
- Technology Experimentation
- Evaluation of Innovative Solutions
- Integrating Technological Innovations into Business Roadmaps
Our approach
Innovation cannot be decreed: it is built and put to the test in the real world
A company can generate countless ideas, hold hackathons, or conduct proof-of-concepts without necessarily developing its capacity for innovation.
Our view is different: an innovation process must start with a clearly identified challenge, quickly test hypotheses in the field, and create the conditions needed to transform a relevant idea into a viable solution.
iQo Design Methodology
For the most holistic view of the innovation challenge, we rely on
- big data analysis,
- qualitative analysis
- observation
This successfully generates exploration and ideation and enhances more informed decision-making.
Insights
For the most holistic view of the innovation challenge, we rely on
- big data analysis,
- qualitative analysis
- observation
This successfully generates exploration and ideation and enhances more informed decision-making.
Creative Factory
Digital Tools
Scaling up
RID
Financing
Open Innovation
Venture Partnership
Plan Ahead
Identify changes that could alter markets, behaviors, and business models.
We combine market monitoring, trend analysis, usage observation, early warning signs, data analysis, and exploration of new technologies to inform strategic decisions.
Explore
Expand the range of possibilities by comparing internal perspectives with those of a broader ecosystem: startups, innovative companies, researchers, experts, technology stakeholders, and partners.
Open innovation thus makes it possible to seek out expertise, technologies, and ideas beyond the traditional boundaries of the company.
Experiment
An innovation only gains value once it is put to the test in the real world.
Our Proprietary Methodology Dream Plan Design and experimentation allow us to quickly test a value proposition, a use case, or a new model before committing to larger investments.
Transform
The ultimate goal is to move innovation from the experimental stage to the stage of value creation.
We therefore also support the establishment of the organizations, processes, governance structures, skills, and business models necessary for the deployment of innovations.
A Closer Look at Our Methodology: Dream Plan Design
- Investigate
- Insights
- Design the Dream Plan
- Impact
- Impulse
Success stories
Read our case studies on innovation consulting projects.
Designing organization and innovation for a leading agri-food company
Improve the organization’s operations in the area of innovation: improve operating procedures (interfaces, governance, roles, and responsibilities) and innovation performance (time to market, process efficiency, and the relevance of innovations at the global and local levels).
- Assess existing organization and identify areas for improvement
- Design and deploy the target organization (structure, roles and responsibilities, governance, etc.).
- Optimize the company's innovation process
Supporting innovation and a culture of innovation at an industry leader
- Foster a culture of digital transformation and innovation among Safran's top management
- Identify innovative and agile solutions to the challenges faced by the Group's business units using Design Thinking and Service Design
- Establish a forward-looking monitoring system
- Identify the issues and challenges
- Design thematic programs for top management to develop solution roadmaps and financing plans
- Develop the strategic innovation roadmap
- Organize and lead workshops, talks, keynote presentations, and insights sessions
- Source experiences and speakers (startups, institutions, and large multisectoral corporations)
- Facilitate and support the adoption of innovation methods
Explore new avenues of innovation at a world leader in Housing
Support the management team in implementing anOpen Innovation approach
- Analysis of innovation trends in the Group universe
- Scouting of 5 types of player: start-ups, mature international companies, venture capital, universities and patent holders
- Detailed analysis of startups to identify potential partners
- Determine the best way to partner with each of them (licensing, distribution, co-design, co-manufacturing, etc.).
's publications: Our experts in innovation
How can iQo support you?
iQo is a strategy and transformation consulting firm whose mission is to “unleash collective genius to co-create desirable futures.”
- Our firm offers a unique approach to co-construction with our customers.
- We advocate for the integration of skills and expertise, with a particular focus on AI and Impact at the heart of our approach.
- We offer small, agile teams that are genuinely committed to working alongside you, acting as an extension of your own teams.
- We are "makers" and offer practical, results-oriented solutions tailored to your specific
needs. - We are committed: iQo is a mission-driven company, recognized with Ecovadis Silver and Engagé RSE certifications, and certified to ISO 9001 and 14001 standards.
FAQ - Consulting Firm Specializing in Innovation
What is an innovation consulting firm?
An innovation consulting firm helps companies identify, design, and implement new growth opportunities. Its services may include innovation strategy, foresight analysis, open innovation, the development of new products and services, prototyping, intrapreneurship, and the transformation of innovation culture.
Why choose iQo as your innovation consulting firm?
Innovation consulting helps structure an approach that goes beyond simply generating ideas. A consulting firm like iQo provides methods, expertise, and an outside perspective to identify opportunities, prioritize projects, quickly test hypotheses, and ensure their successful scaling.
iQo supports companies as they seek to define an innovation strategy, explore new areas of growth, structure an open innovation approach, identify startups or technologies, design new products and services, foster intrapreneurship, or accelerate the transition from experimentation to deployment.
What is an innovation strategy?
An innovation strategy defines the areas in which a company seeks to innovate, the objectives it aims to achieve, the resources to be mobilized, and the methods for turning innovations into value. In particular, it may incorporate market intelligence, foresight, new business models, open innovation, and technological innovation.
What is Open Innovation?
Open Innovation involves opening a company’s innovation process to external stakeholders: startups, suppliers, customers, partners, universities, research laboratories, and technology companies. It enables faster access to new skills, technologies, and ideas.
An open innovation initiative begins with identifying the challenges and areas for exploration. The company can then seek out relevant partners, evaluate the identified solutions, test out collaborations, and define the terms for integrating them sustainably into its business.
How can we identify the trends that will transform a market?
Trend analysis typically combines strategic monitoring, usage observation, technology analysis, market research, quantitative and qualitative data, and the identification of weak signals. The goal is to distinguish structural changes from temporary phenomena in order to inform strategic decisions.
How can a company foster a culture of innovation?
A culture of innovation is based on employees’ ability to propose ideas, experiment, and learn quickly. In particular, it requires shared methods, time dedicated to exploration, intrapreneurship or participatory innovation programs, the right skills, and a management approach that encourages experimentation.
How can we measure the performance of an innovation initiative?
The performance of an innovation initiative can be assessed using several metrics: the number and quality of opportunities identified, the speed of experimentation, the conversion rate of proof-of-concepts, time-to-market, revenue from new offerings, user adoption, or contribution to strategic objectives. The metrics must be tailored to the maturity and objectives of the innovation portfolio.
