NASA (In)novation Ecosystem: Taking technology innovation from buzz to reality

NASA knows that cultivating relationships and cross-pollinating ideas can improve operational efficiency, reduce duplicate efforts, and drive more effective communication of its capabilities, all of which enable innovation. The NASA Headquarters (HQ) Information Technology and Communications Division (ITCD) partnered with Booz Allen to develop an Innovation Ecosystem leveraging a scalable and sustainable method to promote cross-cutting technology innovation. The effort focuses on: Encouraging and capturing innovative problems, ideas, and relationships; Openly sharing knowledge independent of organization or geography; Building, optimizing, and strengthening NASA´s technology capabilities; and Actively managing near- and long-term mission technology portfolios. The result is an Innovation Ecosystem consisting of the following four distinct components working together to facilitate innovation and adoption across the enterprise and through the innovation life cycle: 1. Technology Injection Framework and (in)novation Partner Relationships, 2. (In)novations Technology Showcase, 3. innovate.nasa.gov, 4. Strategic (In)novation Communication. An Innovation Ecosystem is more than “innovation management.” As in any ecosystem, multiple components must work together - individually and collectively - to create a supportive environment that lets innovations survive the entire life cycle and integrate into the organization. Without this cohesive approach and balanced system, innovations are at risk of becoming merely “good ideas” without staying power in daily operations and risk withering away before implementation.