Success and failure of 50 innovation projects in Dutch companies

Abstract

Continued innovation of products, services, technology and the organization itself, is one way to keep a business on its feet during these turbulent times. The importance of innovation – the process during which leap‐changes are effected – is generally recognized. However, in practice, the successful conclusion of a total innovation project is by no means matter‐of‐course. Many innovations end in failure. Research in the USA raises the questions of how successful Dutch companies and their managers are in terms of innovation. How many innovation projects succeed, how many fail? This study searches for an answer to this question. The logical next question then is, what are the differences between innovation projects that succeed and those that fail? In short, what are the factors that lead to success, and which factors lead to failure in the projects examined?