Ecosystem Intelligence:
Renewing Purpose For a
National Innovative Catalyst
Ecosystem Intelligence: Renewing Purpose for a National Innovation Catalyst
When a national innovation catalyst with 100+ successful ventures found itself struggling to justify its continued relevance, we discovered the problem wasn't their capabilities but their understanding of the rapidly evolving landscape around them. Despite deep connections across sectors, this organization couldn't articulate its unique value to increasingly skeptical funders and board members.
Our investigation revealed three critical gaps:
- The organization was operating on outdated assumptions about national innovation dynamics, missing critical shifts in how resources, talent, and ideas were flowing
- They identified numerous promising trends they could pursue, but struggled to determine where they were uniquely positioned to add value in a landscape already crowded with similar initiatives
- Their work needed to satisfy prominent leaders from political, academic, and business circles who held fundamentally different views on innovation priorities and approaches
Our Approach
We designed a comprehensive intelligence-gathering operation that went beyond superficial analysis:
- Conducted 50+ in-depth interviews with ecosystem participants across sectors, focusing on uncovering unspoken challenges and emerging opportunities that statistical reports had missed.
- Synthesized seemingly disconnected insights into a coherent map of the national innovation landscape, revealing counterintuitive connections and overlooked leverage points.
- Transformed complex findings into clear, compelling options that resonated with even the most skeptical board members.
Strategic Impact
Our investigation and strategic translation work delivered concrete results:
- Secured commitment from influential ecosystem leaders across sectors, establishing essential support network for future implementation success
- Equipped the organization with a unique perspective that made them newly relevant to policy discussions they had previously been excluded from.
"What impressed us wasn't just the thoroughness of the research, but how you transformed complex insights into clear strategic choices. You managed to speak to the concerns of our most demanding stakeholders while avoiding the academic trap of analysis without recommendation."
— Board Chair