Connector Congress 2025 At the Pulse of Time to New Ideas—Innovation Management in Connection Technology

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In a fast-paced world with emerging and disappearing markets, geopolitical trends, and a highly standardized product approach, flexible yet pragmatic innovation management is essential to stay current. In the keynote at the Connector Congress, Dr. Susanne Krichel explains how the methodology can be applied.

Dr. Susanne Krichel (Senior Vice President Global R&D at Lapp Holding SE) provides a detailed insight into the topic of innovation management in the keynote at this year's Connector Congress: "On the Pulse of Time to New Ideas—Innovation Management in Connection Technology." To realize Lapp's "Top of Mind" vision, innovation management was introduced more than a decade ago. Today, the function is a central component of the global R&D structure. The opening lecture presents two key management concepts of innovation management in Stuttgart and gives an insight into various formats, processes, and the toolbox. The presentation not only highlights the theoretical approaches but also provides concrete insights into practice.

Ms. Krichel, What are the Central Concepts in Innovation Management?

At Lapp, we approach innovation management with an integrated approach, from idea generation and prioritization based on search fields to idea implementation in an evolutionary and revolutionary development path with different process approaches. This is complemented by product lifecycle management, strong patent management, product compliance, and data management. The integrated innovation management is strategically supported by product generation planning based on the Cambridge concept of the "5 Years Integrated Roadmap." Here, sales or market management works closely with product managers to define today's and tomorrow's portfolio—the development at Lapp then anticipates relevant technology concepts on the product and production process side. Our Tech Radar, with methodologically strong technology foresighting, also plays an important role here.

What Formats, Processes, and Tools are Available?

As mentioned, the strategic formats and concepts are the "5 Years Integrated Roadmap" and the matching integrated innovation management to efficiently implement ideas. We have various processes to evaluate, patent, and develop ideas. On the evolutionary development side, we rely on a classic waterfall approach—the Stage Gate. Early and close integration of product managers with developers, production, and purchasing is important. Most of the projects here are of known technological complexity and can be supported by appropriate pre-development projects. To develop new business models and services that go beyond our core business of component-based connection technologies, we have recently launched a corporate incubator. Here, ideas with high differentiation potential in this area are advanced using the "Lean Start-up" method. This is an exciting new journey for us. We also have numerous global collaboration formats, as we have a very decentralized setup.

Why is the Topic of Your Lecture Particularly Relevant to Our Participants?

In today's fast-paced world, with markets that can emerge and be deprioritized just as quickly, with geopolitical currents and a highly regulated and standardized product approach in connection technology, it is crucial to stay on the pulse with flexible yet pragmatic innovation management. Connectors, like other connection technologies (cables, conduits, system products), are often commodity products—yet these products can differentiate themselves in the market alongside all regulations. For this to happen, ideas and market influences must be channeled, prioritized, and specifically developed for the market. Furthermore, companies must create space to explore revolutionary product ideas outside the "normal" development business.

What are the Three Most Important Aspects of Your Lecture?

Create an understanding of how integrated innovation management works, present pragmatic formats for decentralized organizations that are already working well at Lapp, and demonstrate lessons learned through concrete examples.

What Will our Participants Learn from Your Lecture?

That there is no concept that lasts forever in a company, but rather it is important to constantly re-evaluate existing processes and adapt them to the VUCA world (volatility, uncertainty, complexity, ambiguity). Innovation management is not a rigid framework, but a methodology that must be used smartly and flexibly. (kr)

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