How do you find new partners to innovate with?

1 Know your needs

Before you start looking for new partners, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve with your innovation project. What are the problems or opportunities you are trying to address? What are the skills, assets, or networks you need to access or develop? What are the risks and challenges you anticipate? By defining your needs, you can narrow down your search and focus on the most relevant and compatible partners.

2 Explore your ecosystem

Your innovation ecosystem is the network of actors and relationships that influence and support your innovation activities. It can include your customers, suppliers, competitors, regulators, industry associations, research institutions, media, and other stakeholders. To find new partners, you need to explore your ecosystem and identify the gaps and opportunities. You can use tools such as ecosystem mapping, stakeholder analysis, or market research to discover who are the key players, what are their roles and interests, and how they interact with each other.

3 Reach out and connect

Once you have a list of potential partners, you need to reach out and connect with them. You can use various channels, such as social media, events, referrals, or cold emails, to initiate contact and express your interest. You should also prepare a compelling value proposition that explains how your innovation project can benefit them and what you expect from them. You should be clear, honest, and respectful in your communication and avoid overselling or spamming.

4 Build trust and rapport

Finding new partners is not enough. You also need to build trust and rapport with them. Trust is the foundation of any successful collaboration, especially in innovation, where uncertainty and ambiguity are high. To build trust, you need to show your credibility, reliability, and empathy. You can do this by sharing your vision, goals, and values, providing evidence of your expertise and achievements, delivering on your promises, and listening to and understanding their needs and concerns.