How to get Innovative ideas?
October 8th, 2010, Henrik Max Jensen, Danisco A/S
Agenda
About Danisco A/S
Why do we need ideas?
Innovation – what is it?
HOW to get Innovative ideas?
• INN Culture & Creative processes
• Fact finding/Analysis
• Technology-driven Innovation – core compentence
• Consumer-driven Innovation – Danisco Innovate
• Innovation with the customer - Icebreaking
• Blue-sky Innovation – Danisco IdeaLab
Summary
Henrik Max Jensen, Danisco A/S
Henrik Max Jensen
Senior Scientist
M.Sc. in organic chemistry
(Univ. Århus) - 1993
NMR spectroscopy, analytical
chemistry, chemometrics,
organic synthesis and
facilitator of creative
processes
2
The world needs your ideas!
Companies ask for new ideas…always
Thomas Edison
Better utilisation of raw materials in the
world
Smarter drugs/delivery systems
New materials
Be innovative, test and implement!
Large companies are always scouting for
ideas to license or venture
Henrik Max Jensen, Danisco A/S
3
DANISCO A/S: Food industries that we
serve and more
Bakery products
Fruit preparations
Beverages
Health & Nutrition
Confectionery
Meat, poultry & seafood
Culinary products
Oils & fats
Dairy products
Pet food
Frozen desserts
Bio based solutions:
Bioethanol
Enzymes
Detergent
INN-06/02
Henrik Max Jensen, Danisco A/S
4
Danisco inside…
.. every 4th loaf of bread
.. every 2nd ice cream
.. every 3rd cheese
.. every 3rd box of detergent
Henrik Max Jensen, Danisco A/S
5



Kerry Group (IE)




















2
2


Novozymes (DK)

PAI/Chr. Hansen (DK)

DSM (NL)

ABF(UK)


1
2
Danisco's global position


Huber (DK/USA)
Cognis (D)

Technical
enzymes
Degussa/Cargill (USA)

Feed
enzymes

Food
enzymes

Bio-preservation

Starter cultures
Textural
ingredients
Danisco (DK)
Sweeteners
Functional
systems
Emulsifiers
Market positions
1
1

2


1
2
Note: Partnership agreement with Firmenich on Flavours
Henrik Max Jensen, Danisco A/S
6
Raw materials
International presence:
80 locations in more than 40 countries
Canada
Scarborough 
USA
Ardsley, NY 
Bakersfield, CA 
Beloit, WI 
Cedar Rapids, IA 
Elmsford, NJ 
Fairfield, NJ 
Lakeland, FL 
Madison, WI 
New Century Kansas, KS 
Palo Alto, CA 
Pine Brook, NJ 
Rochester, NY 
St. Joseph, MI 
St. Louis, MO 
Terre Haute, IN 
Thomson, IL 
Argentina
Arroyito 
Buenos Aires 
Brazil
Pirapozinho 
São Paolo 
Chile
Pargua 
Santiago 
Colombia
Bogota 
Guatemala
Guatemala City 
Mexico
Apatzingán 
Guadalajara 
México City 
Tecoman 
Tlalnepantla 
Veracruz 
Peru
Lima 
 Sales offices
 Innovation center
 Production
Henrik Max Jensen, Danisco A/S
Austria
Lenzing 
Probsdorf 
Vienna 
Belgium
Brugge 
Louvain-La-Neuve 
Denmark
Brabrand 
Copenhagen 
Grindsted 
Haderslev 
Holeby 
Nakskov 
Nykøbing 
Tønder 
Finland
Hanko 
Jämsänkoski 
Jokioinen 
Kantvik 
Kotka 
Naantali 
Säkylä 
Vaasa 
France
Compiègne 
Dangé Saint Romain 
Epernon 
Fayencet 
Grasse 
Landerneau 
Melle 
Paris 
Roncq 
Sassenage 
Seillans 
Tourettees 
Vinay 
Germany
Anklam 
Frankfurt 
Königslutter 
Niebüll 
Croatia
Zagreb 
Australia
Sydney 
Czech Republic
Smirice 
Iceland
Reykjavik 
Estonia
Tallinn 
Italy
Granarolo dell'Emilia
Milan 
Hungary
Budapest 
China
Anyang 
Beijing 
Guangzhou 
Kunshan 
Nanyang 
Shanghai 
Wuxi 
Zhangjiagang 
Netherlands
Leiden 
Zaandam 
Norway
Bryne 
Oslo 
Portugal
Faro 
Spain
Barcelona 
Madrid 
Valencia 
Sweden
Arlöv 
Köpingebro 
Norrköping 
Örtofta 
Switzerland
Kreuzlingen 
UK
Beaminster 
Lincoln 
Marlborough 
Oxfordshire 
Redhill 
Stockport 
Tullibody 
Wellingborough 
Latvia
Riga 
Lithuania
Kedainiai 
Panevézys 
Vilnius 
Poland
Olsztyn 
Poznan 
Warszawa 
Romania
Bucharest 
Russia
Moscow 
Serbia and Montenegro
Beograd 
Slovak Republic
Bratislava 
India
Haryana 
Japan
Osaka 
Tokyo 
Korea
Seoul 
Malysia
Kuala Lumpur 
Penang 
New Zealand
Auckland 
Singapore
Singapore 
Thailand
Bangkok 
Ukraine
Kiev 
Egypt
Cairo 
South Africa
Johannesburg 
Cape Town 
8
Denmark
Danisco has app. 1.400 employees in Denmark on 5
different locations:
Copenhagen
• Headquarter
Brabrand
• Research and innovation
Brabrand: 500
Grindsted
• Production
Grindsted: 570
Copenhagen: 260
Haderslev
• Production
Tønder
Haderslev: 60
Tønder: 7
• Production
Henrik Max Jensen, Danisco A/S
9
Well-positioned to move Danisco forward
Sales & Application Food Ingredients
Sales Industry Enzymes
Technology
ENABLERS
BIO ACTIVES
Emulsifiers
Gums & Systems
Cultures
Sweeteners
GENENCOR
Bio
Chemicals
Projects
Non-Food Ingredients
Corporate - Technology & Business Development - Shared Services
…END OF COMMERCIALS 
Henrik Max Jensen, Danisco A/S
10
10
INNOVATION
INNOVATION
WHY & WHAT IS IT?
Henrik Max Jensen, Danisco A/S
11
Becoming First Choice for innovation
”Becoming First
Choice”
Our STRATEGY is to create value by
VISION
To be the most innovative
bio-based solutions company
MISSION
To deliver profitable growth to
ourselves and our customers
through the creation of
innovative solutions
Henrik Max Jensen, Danisco A/S
Selecting and investing in the right
opportunities in order to deliver the right
solutions first time, on time, and every time.
We will achieve this by:
• Having engaged and empowered employees
and an innovative culture
• Having active company-wide innovation
processes and tools
• Leveraging knowledge actively through our
network
• Partnering with our customers to identify
unmet needs
12
Addressing the global megatrands through our global
innovation network
FOOD
HEALTH
ENERGY
CHEMICALS
from 6.9 to 9.1 billion people in the next 40 years
INNOVATION
What is it?
R&D by itself is not innovation but an
investment that could lead to an innovation
Innovation should be embedded into
every function throughout Danisco:
”An innovation is
the conversion
of a new idea
into revenues
and profits”
Ram Charan, Game-Changer 2008
Henrik Max Jensen, Danisco A/S
14
INNOVATION:
A solution to a task is
creative, when:
a) New and useful
b) the road is not
straightforward
Innovation:
Succesful implementing
of creative solutions
Prof. Terese Amabile, HBS ‘Creativity in context’, 1996
Henrik Max Jensen, Danisco A/S
15
The Innovator: Thomas Edison – 1091 patents
(1848 – 1931) – founder of GE
Edison Botanical
Reseach Coop.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Henrik Max Jensen, Danisco A/S
the parallel circuit,
a durable light bulb,
an improved dynamo,
the underground conductor
network,
the devices for maintaining
constant voltage,
safety fuses and insulating
materials, and
light sockets with on-off
switches.
1920’ies search for
altrnative rubber source.
Danisco BioIsopreneTM
16
HOW TO GET INNOVATIVE IDEAS?
Creativity
Creative processes
Fact finding
Technology driven
Consumer driven
Customer relations
Henrik Max Jensen, Danisco A/S
17
Danisco = Innovation Culture
Innovation = (knowledge+dialogue)creativity
Henrik Max Jensen, Danisco A/S
18
INNCreativity
kulturen
18
A view into the Creative brain
Identifying patterns – breaking them down – and creating new patterns
A question of mindset
Synapse density at Birth
Illustration C. Kühl,
Henrik Max Jensen, Danisco A/S
6 years
14 years
Kilde:Rima Shore ”Rethinking the Brain”
19
Creativity
Breaking the thinking patterns:
Associations: images, fantasy, music, words
Dialogue
Use roles/new angles – views
Take on another persons identity
Create severe constraints – rather beautiful constraints
Ask postive open questions: in how many ways can..?, what
if..?
Henrik Max Jensen, Danisco A/S
20
What do you see?
Ideas for a new ice-cream?
Henrik Max Jensen, Danisco A/S
21
Creative Processes
• Have a clear objective – stay focussed
• Separate the process in open brainstorm sessions, followed by selection & evaluation.
• Select the best ideas and work more with them (brainstorm again or
conceptualise/literature/market search) before select/reject
Fact-finding
Ideation
Concepts
Concept-development Pilot project
Product-launch
Product
Koncept udvikling
Reflect: - ever used a brainstorm session during your project to get ideas – why not?
Henrik Max Jensen, Danisco A/S
22
Creative processes
Concept/idea evaluation
Adapted from ’Blue Ocean Strategy’
Implementation
Difficult
easy
Low potential
High potential
Red ocean: where competitors are
Blue ocean: sail alone
Green: just do it!
Henrik Max Jensen, Danisco A/S
23
Fact finding/analysis
Knowledge, knowledge & knowledge
• Core in Technology-driven Innovation
• Intimite insight into technologies/problems
Market insights:
• Market analysis/Market Trends/products sold
– retrospective, often red ocean ideas
• Close alliances with customers/partnerships
• Consumer questionnaires
• Consumer insights (interviews..) – unmet needs
• Super-users
• Open Innovation
Henrik Max Jensen, Danisco A/S
24
HOW do YOU get ideas?
Reflect a moment: when, where, why..how?
How do you evaluate the ideas?
Henrik Max Jensen, Danisco A/S
25
Technology-driven Innovation
A core competency
Technology-driven Innovation
Ideas from the science & knowledge present in a company
…or from a University Lab.
What can we do with the technology
Science idea –
reading literatureGreat technology !
Test in the Laboratory
Evaluate the result
Re-do/improve…
Is the market ready?
Raw material availability
Is it technical possible?
Is it just an incremental
innovation/an improvement?
Can it be up-scaled
Proto-typing/scale-up
Documentation
Patent landscape?
Product launch
Often the competitor launches a
similar product/patent at the
same time – why?
Henrik Max Jensen, Danisco A/S
27
Technical/Expertise Ideation
Asking the right questions…
Henrik Max Jensen, Danisco A/S
28
Technology-driven Innovation
Breakthrough blue-ocean idea
Implementation
Soft’N’Safe
Example:
Difficult
DANISCO SOFT’N’SAFE –
easy
PVC softener/plastizer to replace phthalates.
Green label - based on castor oil.
Low potential
High potential
O
C
H3 C
O
OAc
O
OAc
O
http://www.danisco-softnsafe.com./
Henrik Max Jensen, Danisco A/S
29
CONSUMER-DRIVEN INNOVATION
CONSUMER-DRIVEN INNOVATION
Why use ethnographics?
MARKET ANALYSIS
Only possible to test offers that
already exist
ETHNOGRAPHY
Possible to find future innovation
opportunities
Users answer what they think
is important and restricted by
their existing perceptions
Research builds on actual,
observed behavior - avoid verbal
miscommunications
Users tell about their behavior
User behavior is observed
The analysis follows a fixed topic
guide
Observation follows the path
that the user chooses to take
Henrik Max Jensen, Danisco A/S
31
CONSUMER-DRIVEN INNOVATION
15 respondents
Three countries: Germany, UK and
Spain
75-150 hours of field work (5-10
hours with each respondent)
15-20 hours of video
400-500 photos
15 photo diaries
60-80 pages of field notes
Henrik Max Jensen, Danisco A/S
32
CONSUMER-DRIVEN INNOVATION
Outcome:
Homemade
Healthy balance
”Help me make my food
feel homemade”
”Help me sort out
the categories”
Regain control
Trust
Family time
”Help me to reconnect
to food”
”Help me win my
must-win battles”
Clear target-groups
Ideas can be grouped accordingly
New product launches focused
Pro-active to customers
Henrik Max Jensen, Danisco A/S
33
CONSUMER-DRIVEN INNOVATION
Danisco Innovate
We are all consumers…
High quantity: >1000 ideas, voting, clustering..
Evaluation: fit to divisional strategy
Selection: investigate patent-landscape
Henrik Max Jensen, Danisco A/S
34
INNOVATION WITH THE CUSTOMER
INNOVATION WITH THE CUSTOMER
Creative ideation: ’Ice-breaking on the edge’
– partners:
• Hennig Olsen Is, Norway – isproducent
• Danish chef: Mads Nybro
• Tetra-Pak Høyer (ice-cream packaging)
• Zentropa workZ
• ’Second life’-creator from IO-Interaction (Hitman)
• Consumers
• WOW-gamer
• + 6 Danisco food scientists
REFLECT: HOW ARE YOUR ’CUSTOMERS’ or END-USERS?
Henrik Max Jensen, Danisco A/S
36
INNOVATION WITH THE CUSTOMER
Fact-finding + breaking orthodoxies about ice-cream
What is Ice-cream NOT!!
Henrik Max Jensen, Danisco A/S
37
INNOVATION WITH THE CUSTOMER
’Ice-breaking on the edge’
Henrik Max Jensen, Danisco A/S
38
INNOVATION WITH THE CUSTOMER
Concepts & prototypes – fast!!
Heartbreaker
The cynical fortune ice cream
Baggrund
Ironi har længe været populært i reklame- og tv-branchen. Derimod er glansbilleder og idylliske
scenarier blevet mere og mere utroværdige. Hvorfor ikke tage konsekvensen fuldt ud, når det gælder
nye isprodukter?
Koncept
Logo: Heartbreaker med dertil hørende illustration af et hjerte, der splittes over i to.
Konceptet er tænkt ud fra styrken i et produkts budskab. Budskabet er i dette tilfælde, at kærligheden
til tider kan gøre ondt. For at vise humoren i produktet udviser isproduktet kompromisløs kynisme og
tragiske komik som et modspil til isprodukters traditionelt velpolerede overflade. De traditionelle
isprodukters sukkersøde virkelighed fortæller forbrugerens drømme, mens Heartbreakers koncept
giver konsumenten virkeligheden tilbage. Heartbreakers koncept tilbyder med andre ord en fortælling,
der giver forbrugeren noget at tale om. Heartbreaker har kort sagt noget på hjerte.
Produktbeskrivelse1
Med udgangspunkt i de kinesiske lykkekager udformes en hjerteformet is med to ispinde2. Hjertet er
præ-perforeret og kan deles, således kæresteparret står med hver sin ispind med et halvt hjerte. Når
hjertet splittes i sine halvdele, falder en spådom ud på fx rispapir. Alle spådommene udgør en
modvægt til hjertets romantiske symbolik. Fx en tekst, der med kynisk realisme fastslår, at ”50 % af
alle ægtepar bliver skilt, inden der er gået fem år”. Hertil korrelerer form, smag og farve med hinanden
med budskabet for øje. Form og indhold komplementerer hinanden. Det vil sige, at smagsoplevelsen
skal vise sin affinitet til formen, derved at man bider igen et sukkerlag og ind til nogle syrlige kerner,
der fastholder smagen i munden.
1
2
Tekniske specifikationer forefindes i rapport af Danisco is-gruppe over prototyper på baggrund af
Isbrydning på kanten (2006).
Jf. Gajols citater af lommefilosofisk og ordsprogskarakter.
Henrik Max Jensen, Danisco A/S
39
BLUE SKY INNOVATION
IdeaLab – a new process for getting ideas
Breakthrough ideas (’Blue-ocean’) by
• Cross-divisonal teams – taking out from daily routines – recombining knowledge and
skills
• Questioning orthodoxies (you would never say..) of the business
• Identifying core competences
• Consumer insight
Henrik Max Jensen, Danisco A/S
41
ORTHODOXIES: THE ELEPHANTS IN THE ROOM
Orthodoxy held:
“Dealing with animal waste is a cost
we have to put up with running a zoo .
..
Orthodoxy Flipped:
“What if animal waste was a profit center?
Reflect: what are the orthoxies in your research area?
Henrik Max Jensen, Danisco A/S
42
IdeaLab
BioActives
Enablers
Genencor
SAFI
IdeaLab
Representatives from each
Division and from SAFI, for X weeks
Representatives from T&BD as the “Support Team”
Guided by Innovation consultancy
Danisco Pipeline
MARKET
Henrik Max Jensen, Danisco A/S
43
SUMMARY
Knowledge, knowledge…IS important…in-dept work generates ideas
….. break usual thinking patterns => blue ocean ideas
Work with/listen to/think as the end-users
Creativity can be ’forced through’ by focus
Separate brainstorm/ideation from selection
Select the ideas with most energi – from you heart
Dialogue – discuss – ideas - teamwork enhances the idea-flow
Concepts/ Prototype fast (lab-tests fast)
Successful Innovation by
• Culture, Visions, Dialoque
• ’Beautiful Constraints’
• High energy..workflow
• Patience
Thank for you listening 
Henrik Max Jensen, Danisco A/S
44