Systems Innovation

Introduction

TNO has the ambition to be recognized, asked and appreciated by governments and industries for its capability to provide actionable system innovation perspectives for important societal challenges.

Today’s grand societal challenges are wicked problems by nature. They are characterized by their complex interdependencies, and the fact that there is no single solution to the problem. Solving one aspect of the problem will most likely expose or create other complications. Breakthroughs for wicked problems require a solid understanding of ‘the total picture’: the systemic elements involved, the economic, political, legal and ethical contexts, the willingness of stakeholders to accept solutions, and short-term versus long-term impacts. Understanding this ‘total picture’ and effectively dealing with it, is what we call Systems Innovation.

Systems innovation is:

A new approach to innovation that tries to tackle complex systemic challenges through the use of systems thinking and innovation driven approaches. It is a kind of innovation that is focused on transformational change - systems change - rather than incremental change in individual parts.

Such an approach is indispensable in tackling TNO strategic promises to innovate for a healthy, safe & secure, sustainable and digital society.

Actionable system innovation perspectives are asked for by stakeholders from industry and government and must become a business proposition of TNO. We are well positioned to build a distinctive position in this field: we are independent and trusted, with a broad understanding of technologies, application domains and societal sectors, and with a high-level network of knowledge partners. At the same time, a system innovation perspective provides insights to prioritize our roadmaps and the investment programs derived from it.

In order to grow towards this system innovation role, the Executive Board has established the Systems Innovation Program. The duration of the program is the same as that of TNO’s Strategic Plan. After finalizing the program in 2025, the activities and results will be embedded within the regular TNO organization.

Program lines

TNO wants to develop its skills, tools and organisation for the system innovation proposition. For that purpose TNO will programmatically develop its system innovation capability (competencies, methods and tools) to the next level, will organize these capabilities into a TNO-wide community and will deliver actionable system innovation perspectives for its four strategic themes. To shape the systems innovation program, three program lines have been established, focusing on shaping relevant aspects of systems innovation for our organization. Our long-term goals are to:

• Develop a TNO systems innovation approach (including methodology and tools);
• Deliver a systems perspectives capability (people, skills, tools); and systems innovation as a TNO business proposition.
• Organize TNO optimally around systemic research and innovation.

All three program lines are interrelated and influence one another. The systems innovation program will be a success when TNO is skillfully capable of, and recognized for, adding value to large societal challenges by means of a systems innovation approach and consequent systems innovations, together with partners.