Innovation icons

To get ahead in a competitive world, every company needs to find a unique angle to stand out from the crowd.

But innovation is never easy – and if you want to make a major leap forward, you need to understand that it’s a messy, unpredictable, serendipitous process.

Successful innovation is about learning from your mistakes, persisting when the going gets tough, rethinking your business in the face of disruption. Sometimes it means doing something someone else does, better. It can even involve obstinacy and luck.

To inspire you to think differently about innovation, we bring you the Innovation Icons series: classic examples of companies that have done things their own way.

Real Innovation Awards case studies

In 2016, we established the Real Innovation Awards to recognise and celebrate the reality of the innovation process: it’s messy, time-consuming and tough.

The winners are extraordinary people who persisted when the going got tough, learnt from their mistakes and had the courage to rethink their businesses in the face of disruption. Have you got what it takes to be a successful innovator?