INC Innovation Benchmarking – Stay Ahead in the Innovation Race
The race has begun. Do you know where you stand?
In dynamic markets and increasingly unfamiliar territory, the ability to innovate determines competitiveness. However, innovation is not a given, and the factors behind its success are rarely obvious.
Many organisations face the same questions:
• What really sets highly innovative companies apart?
• What capabilities do we currently possess?...
• Where do our strengths lie, and where is there a specific need for development?
The INC Innovation Benchmarking provides clarity. Objective. Comparable. Action-oriented.
Keeping track of the innovation race: knowing where you stand
Our benchmarking approach provides a structured framework to help companies better understand and enhance their performance in technology and innovation management.
It combines continuous data collection with clear key performance indicators and shows where you stand relative to peers. At the same time, you gain access to proven best practices, exchange ideas with other companies, and derive valuable insights to support your long-term innovation success.
Your advantage for winning the race
• External validation and objective benchmarking against best-practice companies
• Insights into strengths, challenges, and improvement potential
• Structured analysis, KPIs, and monitoring of innovation performance
• Hands-on learning through best-practice company visits
• Visibility, exchange, and motivation for continuous improvement
Take the test – where does your organisation stand in the race for innovation?
Choose your track
Positioning Track
Gain clarity on your position, strengths, and growth potential by participating in the INC Innovation Benchmarking.
In the Positioning Track, you receive a well-founded view of where your organization stands within the innovation landscape. Together, we analyze your strengths and weaknesses, determine your position in the innovation race, and derive concrete next steps via an individualized assessment.
Insight Track
The Insight Track provides in-depth best-practice insights into excellence in technology and innovation management and creates a strong basis for learning from leading companies.
The track begins with a kick-off and a definition of objectives within the joint project group to guide the focus of the assessments. As a participating company, you can influence the questionnaire focus based on your specific information needs. After the quantitative survey, we calculate the maturity level of technology and innovation management across all of the participating companies and select particularly high-performing organizations for further qualitative deep dives.
These selected companies are then examined in greater detail through interviews and on-site company visits. Based on these insights, the Successful Practice Company 2026 is awarded at the Technology Innovation Summit. A joint final session with reflection on the results concludes the Insight Track.
Can't decide? Let's connect
Procedure
The process begins with a kick-off meeting and the definition of objectives, followed by a survey and an interim evaluation to select the top three entries. This is followed by company visits, the award ceremony at the Technology and Innovation Summit, and a final debriefing.
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Your Project Team
Linda Henkel
Linda Henkel
Andreas Penzel
Andreas Penzel is Executive Director of New Business Innovation and has more than 20 years of experience in digitalization and innovation. His focus is on developing new business models and successfully implementing transformation and AI initiatives that deliver clear business value.
He supports companies from strategy through implementation: from identifying relevant use cases and building AI and innovation portfolios to scaling these initiatives within the organization. In doing so, he combines technological expertise with a clear vision for sustainable value creation.
Andreas Penzel advocates a practical approach to innovation that centers on the interaction between people and technology.
