A maturity model-based diagnosis of innovation capability

Abstract

Some of Colombia’s largest leading R&D+I companies are located in the city of Medellin; however, few studies have been carried out to date regarding the innovation capability (IC) underlying their good results in this area. This article has thus been aimed at establishing the IC maturity of five leading R&D+I companies from five key industrial sectors: alcoholic beverages, sanitary ceramics, electric-gas domestic appliances, meat products and animal feed concentrates. A quantitative cross-sectional approach was adopted; an IC index was constructed for processing the data and the ranges of the three levels of maturity were calculated by variables, thereby enabling the companies to be classified. The results showed that only three IC came within integration, synergy and autonomy maturity levels in the five companies: identifying key decision-making points concerning innovation projects, organisational values and policies and forming innovation teams. The key area 'innovation process’ had the greatest IC maturity levels compared to those for knowledge and competence and organisational support, showing that companies were more interested in technology-based hard IC, than in soft cultural or strategic IC.

Key words: innovation capability; innovation management; technology management; innovation capability and maturity model; maturity model.