The last RISE Workshop took place at F. Hoffmann-La Roche’s headquarters in Basel on June 4th 2009. The workshop was concerned with the strategic management of innovation. In particular, it addressed the challenges of innovation in the pharmaceutical context and how managers cope with these challenges. First, Paul Nagagaki, Head of Group Research Strategy of Roche presented insights on Roche’s particular challenges with investments in new technologies and approaches. Second, Florian Bertram of RISE presented the findings of his dissertation on how managers create and establish new and uncertain opportunities.

David Griessbach, presented his paper project “Overcoming the Stability-Change-Dichotomy” during a RISE Colloquium on March 5th 2009 at the University of St. Gallen. In a first part two papers on the dichotomy of stability and change (Feldman & Pentland, 2003; Garud & Karnoe, 2001) and one paper on the paradox in theory building (Poole & Van de Ven, 1989) have been discussed. In the second part of the workshop, David presented his paper project.

Dr. Daniel Bartl, recent PhD graduate, managing director of RISE, and consultant at Booz & Company published an article on the Booz & Company Global Innovation 1.000. The article was published in the Handelszeitung and in the Swiss Innovation Guide. In this article Daniel drew the conclusions of the Global Innovation 1.000 study for Switzerland and Germany. The article can be found under the following link:

Report on Booz & Company Global Innovation 1.000 study (German)

On Thursday February 5th 2009 RISE organized a workshop together with its company partners on “The Interplay between Entrepreneurship and Management". The workshop took place in Zurich at the headquarters of software company Netcetera AG. After an introduction of RISE Management Director Dr. Daniel Bartl, Netcetera’s CEO Dr. Andrej Vckovski presented the development of the firms strategy from its beginning and the entrepreneurial challenges associated with it. After an extensive discussion Prof. Dr. Johannes Rueegg-Stuerm and Dr. Simon Grand framed this account of managerial practice from a theoretical perspective, introducing their new research program of entrepreneurial management.

The last RISE Workshop on November 6th 2008 explored the management of innovation processes that effectively turn ideas into new products and services. Thereby it moved into a new environment being functional consumer and industrial products where innovation management comprehensively integrates design, engineering, manufacturing and customer interaction. Dieter Marxer, Member of the Board of NOVENTA Engineering AG, offered a visual impression of NOVENTA’s way to innovate. Exploring innovation in this particular context is a consequence of the new collaboration between RISE and Prof. Dr. Urs Füglistaller, Director of the Swiss Research Institute of Small Business and Entrepreneurship at the University of St. Gallen. Prof. Dr. Urs Füglistaller contributedn with his expert knowledge in research and practice of small and mid-sized businesses, as well as with his knowledge of NOVENTA Engineering AG.

Today Florian Bertram presented his research on “The Strategic Mangement of Innovation: Resource Allocation and the Creation of new and uncertain Opportunities” at the research seminar of the Sol C. Snider Entrepreneurial Center of the Wharton School.

On October 2nd 2008 Steven Floyd presented his work on “The managerial Knowledge Base underlying the Process of Strategic Renewal” in this months’ RISE Colloquium. In the first part Steve and the participants discussed two of Steve’s papers, one published and one in the status of review and resubmit as well as a Burgelman (1991). Purpose of this discussion was to provide the context for the current working paper that was discussed in the second part of the colloquium and to give an overview on Steve’s work.

In the second part, of the workshop Steve presented his current working paper “The managerial Knowledge Base underlying the Process of Strategic Renewal"which was followed by a lively discussion. In a third part the participants discussed current opportunities to contribute to the research program of strategic entrepreneurial competence.

The RISE Colloquium on September 4th 2008 was concerned with “The Strategic Mangement of Innovation: Resource Allocation and the Creation of new and uncertain Opportunities". In a first part two papers of strategy process research where discussed in terms of their contribution to a creation of opportunities in the strategy process. Furthermore Actor Network Theory was discussed as a potential theoretical framework to describe and explain entrepreneurial and strategic action inside the strategy process. In a third part Florian Bertram presented his research on resource allocation to new and uncertain opportunities.

On July 3rd 2008 RISE held a colloquium on the “Practice Turn in Strategic Entrepreneurship Research” at the University of St. Gallen. The colloquium was organized by Adrian Ackeret and Simon Grand.

In a first part central contributions to a strategic entrepreneurship perspective, specifically the papers of Brown & Eisenhardt (1997), Alvarez & Barney (2007) and Schendel & Hitt (2007) were discussed. In a second part Adrian and Simon presented their paper project “Collectivizing Entrepreneurial Agency in adolescent Software Companies".

On June 5th 2008 RISE held a workshop at Ergon Informatik AG in Zurich. The workshop focused on the “Entrepreneurial Management of Strategic Change".

In a first part, Charlie Matter (CEO) and Oliver Kaegi (chief designer and member of the management team) described and discussed their perspectives on the successful strategic transformation of Finnova AG Bankware over the last few years, both from a business and a technology perspective. The case of Finnova is particularly interesting because it allows gaining an in-depth insight into the formation and growth of an entrepreneurial company, dealing with a changing customer community, a dynamic competitive setting, a new ownership structure, substantial organizational growth and technological development at the same time.

In a second part, Simon Grand identified major implications for our understanding of the entrepreneurial management of strategic change. With the study on Finnova AG Bankware, RISE Management Research further extended its research on the strategic entrepreneurship and management of software companies and their long-term development and
transformation.