Developing future innovation leaders and embracing key change drivers
The Sika Global Innovation Challenge
Innovation is part of Sika’s DNA and brand positioning. Sika has put into life the Sika Global Innovation Challenge in the context of its Talent strategy and its ambition to foster the innovative drive of high potentials. The purpose of the program is also to prepare this new generations of innovation leaders tackle humanity’s grand challenges including sustainability, digitalization and circular economy.
Highly motivated scientists and engineers are working in global teams to reinvent customer experience, explore disruptive technologies and cultivate Sika’s entrepreneurship mindset.
Growing A New Generation of Innovation Leaders
With the GIC, Sika is looking at things from a leadership perspective - how ideas are transformed into relevant business cases and how to implement them. The GIC was designed as transformation accelerator for grow participants leadership by exploring a significant challenge, co-creating and developing new concepts in a just 6 months.The concept of the GIC is to grow leaders to deliver innovation and to use innovation as a way to grow inspiring leaders at the same time. The program has been designed to stretch both individuals and teams in terms of ways of working and mindset by collaborating on real-life projects.
The teams supported by innovation coaches and global experts worked together to explore their innovation challenge, imagine current and future opportunities, test and learn to define compelling value propositions. The training modules equipped participants with modern innovation tools and methods and supported application of learnings through coaching and mentoring. Due to the virtual set up of the program the teams could also develop their digital collaboration skills and expand their networks within and beyond Sika to co-create and experiment in a safe environment.
The first Sika GIC took place from September 2021 to February 2022. Topics of the challenges did encompass solutions for fireproof building envelopes, sustainable façade & infrastructure coating, recycling & upcycling of products & waste, as well as transfer of the curing-by-design technology to new chemistries.
"To build and reinforce our innovation culture, we designed the Sika Global Innovation Challenge at the crossroads of Innovation and Talent Development." Patricia Heidtman, Chief Innovation & Sustainability Officer
"Our corporate culture, collaboration and building trust are prerequisites to bring forward innovations as a crucial aspect of the entrepreneurial process . " Daniela Odermatt, Head HR Corporate Functions
"As the recovery of our ecosystems is both a complex and multi-faceted challenge, collaboration is key to innovate towards a more sustainable future." Mike Byrne, CTH Coating Systems, R&D and one of the Project Sponsors 2021/22
"The way the program is built also pushes us to manage time, resources, and priorities in a more efficient way in parallel to our daily business activities. " Geraldine Gaillard, Project Leader Automotive TRIM, Research & Development, Switzerland, participant of the GIC 2021/22