Why is collaborative innovation imperative for companies today? Exago’s CEO, Diana Neves de Carvalho, met with students from the INDEG-ISCTE Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA) programme, in Lisbon, to debate innovation management’s main challenges and opportunities for businesses. Diana also shared insights into how to ensure success in implementing idea management software, based on customer examples.

‘Incremental collaborative innovation is a cornerstone of any resilient innovation programme, offering many possible focus applications: from process, product and service improvement to customer experience enhancement, cost optimisation and digitisation of core business,’ Exago’s CEO told the audience. She also explained how idea management software can be a powerful lever in this process ‘if well-tuned to a company’s innovation maturity level’, and by incorporating the wisdom of crowds and a predictive market mechanism.

Diana was invited to present real case studies, share insights and discuss the potential of innovation management solutions for companies. Isabel Caetano, who teaches innovation management classes in the EMBA, further underlined how ‘innovation management is a crucial competence to improve our students’ ability to nurture an innovative organisation, as well as to enable a more global career’.

Now in its thirteenth edition, the INDEG-ISCTE EMBA gives its graduates the skills to reach leadership positions and leverage their organisations through value creation and business development. INDEG-ISCTE was the first business school in Portugal, and it is a leader in executive education, with several MBA programmes well positioned in global rankings.

In 2015, INDEG-ISCTE also launched its Executive Master in Innovation Management, in partnership with CTT, R&D Nester, Siemens and VORTAL – this year joined by Nokia. The programme is designed for innovators, professionals and entrepreneurs seeking to develop a more structured approach to driving innovation towards value creation.