Year: 2011-12

Company: Eli Lilly & Co.

Liaison(s): Jamie Dananberg, Carl Garner

Eli Lilly and Company was founded in 1876 with the purpose of producing high quality and effective drugs. It is the 10th largest pharmaceutical company in the world and is best known for development of innovative therapies to significantly improve the lives of patients. For this project, innovation is defined as “something new that adds value to the company or consumers”. While innovations are the lifeblood of successful R&D companies, firms often have difficulty identifying, developing and bringing such innovations to market. The team’s research focused on the structural, cultural and behavioral elements that are necessary to sustain or inhibit successful innovation across several R&D intensive industries. The Team analyzed organizations representing a wide range of industries including agricultural biotechnology, oil & gas, pharmaceuticals and government laboratories. To accomplish its goals, the Team partnered with the Industrial Research Institute (IRI) and its member companies to obtain essential data in support of the project. Additionally, the Team received training on qualitative research tools and techniques from IDEO, an innovation and design consulting firm. The Eli Lilly TMP Team ultimately conducted over 60 interviews with proven innovation leaders in these industries. Based on the data collected, the team developed frameworks that identify the cultural and behavioral elements that are seen across industries which drive and sustain innovation efforts.