D a vid Rober tson P rofessor and teac her of inno vation Massac huset ts Institute of T ec hnology MIT S w i tzer l a n d i s p er p et u a l l y ra n k e d hig h o n li s ts o f t h e m os t in n o va t i v e co un t r ies a n d h a s a n o ld a n d p r o f t a b le hi s t o r y o f in n o va t io n S w i tzer l a n d i s n o t a t yp ic a l c a s e W e h a v e a s ucces sf u l e co n o m y a n d ra n k hig h in inn o va t io n w hic h m a k es m os t p e o p le a s s um e t h a t w e s u bsidize co m p a nies T a t s n o t r e a l l y t r ue W h a t w e a im t o do i s t o en s ur e t h e r ig h t f ra m e w o r k s a ys L u tzP e t e r B e rg H e ad o f S cien ce I nn o va t io n a t t h e Em b a s sy o f S w i tzer l a n d in t h e UK T e g o v er nm en t s u p p o r t f o r inn o va t io n i s en t ir e l y p er i p h era l b y f o r exa m p le p r o v idin g hig h le v e l s o f e d uc a t io n r en o w n e d r es e a r c h uni v er si t ies a n d a s k i l le d w o r k f o r ce T e g o v er nm en t t a k es a b ac k s e a t a n d inn o va t io n i s u s u a l l y dr i v en f r o m t h e b o t t o m u p B u t w e h e l p in s o m e wa ys f o r exa m p le b y p r o v idin g co ac h in g p r og ra m s f o r s t a r t u p co m p a nies t o h e l p t h em b ui ld v i a b le b u sin es s m o d e l s s a ys L u tzP et er B er g A n im p o r t a n t o b j e c t i v e f o r t h e S w i s s g o v er nm en t i s t o faci li t a t e t h e min g lin g o f b u sin es s a n d ac ademi a o n p r o d uc t i v e g r o un d T o t h a t en d S w i t zer l a n d b ui ld s inn o va t io n n et w o r ks a r o un d t h em a t ic a r e a s A t t h e m o m en t t h em es in c l ude m a t er i a l s p h o t o nics an d fo o d s L u tzP et er B er g co m p a r es t h e S w i s s s t ra t eg y t o t h os e o f o t h er co un t r ies f o r exa m p le t h e UK B r i t i s h co m p a nies g et g o v er nm en t g ra n ts t o inn o va t e On e o f t h e dra w b ac ks o f t h a t i s t h e t en den c y t o p ic k w inn er s w hi le o t h er r es e a r c h s uf er s S w i tzer l a n d do esn t p ic k w inn er s a n d w e do n t h a v e a n a t io n a l in d u s t r i a l s t ra t eg y I t s t h e d u t y o f co m p a nies t o s t a y inn o va t i v e S w i t zer l a n d i s exp en si v e t o r un b u si n es s es in a n d i t s in t h e b es t in t er es t o f S w i s s co m p a nies t o b e a t t h e c u t t in g e dg e s o t h e y c a n s t a y a h e ad o f in t er n a t io n a l co m p et i t o r s T e p r o d uc ts h a v e t o b e p r et t y m uc h t h e b es t in t h e w o r ld W i t h a s o lid g r o un d w o r k in p l ace t h e y p r et t y m uc h mig h t b e HO W T O G A UG E M e a s u r i ng i n no v a t i on s u c c e s s M E A S U R ING T HE S UC C E S S of inno vation can be rather complicated Nina P owell at What If Inno vation see main text suggests adapting the measurements to stageappropriate sets along the journey measure points may include everything from speedtomark et to employee eng agement In a podcast Gut torm Aase an associ ate par tner at McKinsey Compan y suggested two metrics that measure longterm economic inno vation success in equitable w ays The fr st is the ratio of RD spending to new product sales the second is the ratio of gross margin to new product sales These number s should typically be measured o ver a period of three to f ve year s depending on the inno vation cycle of the par ticular industry I n n o v a t i o n s h o u l d b e li k e d a t in g Y o u h a v e t o s p e n d t i m e w i t h y o u r c u s t o m e r s a n d u n d e r s t a n d wh a t r e a ll y m a t t e r s t o t h e m LutzP et er Ber g H e a d of S cience Inno vation Embassy of S witz erland in the UK 31 mining andconstructioncom F eature Inno v ation