From time to time concepts that, at first sight, seem quite old fashioned suddenly get a new lease of life. For example, open innovation has been around for decades, but it’s come to the fore again in recent years in the context of converging industries, start-up collaborations and the rise of the innovation ecosystem. Similarly, the idea of a “sense of purpose” has been around since the birth of industry: the first entrepreneurs of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, such as Henry Ford and John Cadbury, were both driven by a clear sense of purpose based around manufacturing products which would benefit society as well as create business value. A sense of purpose is much more fundamental than a mission, and therefore potentially more enduring, inspiring and powerful. In today’s business world, in which companies can no longer be defined only in terms of their often rapidly changing products and services, a clear and inspiring sense of purpose has once again become essential. This is our theme for the first Prism edition of 2019.

In our lead article we look at how having a clear a sense of purpose can help solve one of the biggest challenges for large, decentralized organizations – enabling innovation agility and dynamism across a large R&D network with a complex and  diverse technology portfolio. Based on a recent case example,  we illustrate how to go about this difficult process.

Digital transformation is rarely off the agenda, and in our second article we explore the challenges companies face and how to overcome them. One of the keys is to have a clear idea of how far to go – the “digital equilibrium” – and ensure a solid foundation to build on, focusing on people, not just technology.

In our other articles we focus on specific topics relating to how to deliver growth, profitability and value in today’s rapidly changing business environment. Cyber-threats are becoming ever more critical, and traditional approaches often fail to protect businesses. We examine a new, unified approach that brings together technology and risk management processes. A clear sense of purpose is also critical for today’s oil companies, which face a volatile socio-political environment, a future of finite resources, and an obligation to address important environmental concerns. We take a look at what the oil company of the future may look like. And in our last article, we demystify the much-hyped world of robotics: how does the market work, and which segments are likely to be successful?

Finally, we are delighted to bring you an exclusive interview with Alessandro Profumo, the CEO of Leonardo, a major player in the aerospace, defense and security systems markets. Mr. Profumo explains how his focus on innovation, combined with his One Company vision, is future-proofing the business across the world.

As always, we hope you enjoy the insight from our experts at Arthur D. Little, and we wish you every success in fulfilling your “raison d’etre”!

Rick Eagar
Chief Editor, Prism
Arthur D.Little