Geoff Mulgan on scaling and growing good innovations

Scaling and growing good innovations

“It is common sense to take a method and try it. If it fails,

admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something.”

Franklin D. Roosevelt

Many innovations, no shortage of trying – but why are the best ones not adopted, scaled, replicated?

Is the problem resistance from incumbents?

Do the innovators/entrepreneurs just need more backing, funding, recognition?

Is the problem weak demand – commissioning, purchasing, policy?

Are the innovations promising but not proven? Do they need refinement to demonstrate impact, cost effectiveness ...?

Is there a lack of intermediary organisations to connect supply and demand? To judge what really does work ...

Growth patterns

Growth patterns

Organisational Form ChoicesWhat sort of boundaries are placed around the innovation, who’s involved, how much control etc.

Slide 9 The Young Foundation 2010

1 Prompts

2 Proposals

3 Prototypes

4 Sustaining5 Scaling

6 Systemic change

5. scaling and growth

diffusion

Subsidies for diffusion, adoption, adaptation

licensing

Brands

franchises

investment for growth – loans, equity, quasi-equity

commissioning

federations

National policy directives

professional networks/champions

growth through people

takeover

policy and programme funding

consumer advocacy

emulation

Markets for outcomes

NICE-type bodies

Are these all missing in ageing? Who owns the problem of scale where there aren’t markets?