In a highly disruptive environment, it's innovate or fail

In a recently published book on innovation, Dr Massimo Garbuio, a Senior Lecturer in International Business, says that with a death threat constantly in sight, innovation has become not only a wise business strategy but a necessity for organisations large and small.

The book, titled 6 Building Blocks for Successful Innovation, has been written by Dr Garbuio and co-author Moritz Dressel, a Berlin-based management consultant. The two authors met in 2010 while Mr Dressel was completing his studies at the University of Sydney Business School and attended Dr Garbuio's course in Entrepreneurship and Innovation.

The authors define innovation as "the multistage process whereby organisations transform ideas into new or improved products, services or processes in order to advance, compete and differentiate themselves successfully in their marketplace."

While offering a detailed step-by-step guide on how to approach innovation, the book includes insightful interviews with a host of internationally recognized innovators working in the healthcare, finance, technology and telecom sectors.

According to 6 Building Blocks for Successful Innovation, these interviewees "weigh in on the big debates: how to design an innovative organisation of diverse voices, how to protect and grow ideas so they succeed, and how to tune corporate radar to inspiration and turn the signals received into new value."

The authors say that their book is aimed at entrepreneurial and innovative people in established organisations, students of innovation and anyone starting out on an innovation journey.

6 Building Blocks for Successful Innovation is published by Routledge.