RABOBANK
linked to the mission and strategy of your organisation ,” he says .
In the intervening years , Rabobank has worked on a number of different approaches . One is to ensure that every innovation project is intrinsically linked to the bank ’ s mission and strategy – and to those important transitions of energy security , food security , and financial inclusion for all ; the other is to view innovation as a craft .
“ I believe you can learn innovation , but you need discipline and structure . Things don ’ t just happen by accident . We ’ re not all Steve Jobs . You have to get a sense not only of how you generate ideas , but also how you validate ( or invalidate ) them quickly and integrate them with the mission of the organisation .
“ We have organised ourselves quite well . We started with the concept of ‘ businessled ’ innovation , and we said we ’ re not going to build projects outside the organisation that are not being inherited by the mothership . We ’ ve really set business-led innovation as the key .”
Building ‘ the machine that creates the unicorns ’ Within Rabobank itself , there are a number of separate work streams that help the bank dial-up its innovation efforts . The first is called the ‘ Innovation Factory ’. Rabobank has recognised the need to ‘ industrialise ’ innovation , so it has assembled a talented team of innovation experts with experience in founding startups , building and scaling corporate ventures and shaping partnerships with fellow innovators . These experts accelerate Rabobank ’ s internal ventures including scouting and shaping partnerships via its Open Innovation activities . “ It is the machine that creates the unicorns ,” he jokes .
“ You can only be successful and impactful on innovation when it ’ s linked to the mission and strategy of your organisation ”
BART LEURS CHIEF INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY OFFICER , RABOBANK
40 May 2023