It was 2019, five years after Ivo Rutten and Roelant Hietbrink pitched ShipShape to Philips Lighting’s CTO Olivia Qiu. During these five years, many things had happened: the project was killed and reborn, was transferred to another department and acquired new leadership. It had taken shape in collaboration with partners and developed steadily but then ran into serious obstacles. During these ups and downs, Rutten and Hietbrink were convinced that Philips Lighting needed a reliable industry partner to help carry ShipShape to success. The shipping industry was uncharted waters for Philips Lighting, yet the company could not realize the market value of ShipShape all by itself. The questions at stake were which company was most compatible, how to make the partnership mutually beneficial, and how to make the relationship sustainable. Despite having its roots within Philips Lighting (now Signify), ShipShape was transferred to Philips Intellectual Property & Standards (IP&S) and was renamed 'RunWell'. The case recounts this transfer journey and explores the partnership between Philips IP&S and AkzoNobel, further building on the political landscape within Philips.
Based on field research; 12 pages
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1. Build processes to utilize inter-organizational partnerships effectively. This case provides the opportunity to dive deeper into the innovation ecosystem by providing insights on a real-life technology partnership. After studying and discussing the case, students will understand the key dynamics of a partnership. 2. Realize the social and cognitive dynamics surrounding the innovation process. Through this case, students will be made aware of the different stakeholders involved in a project. An understanding of this will help them become a better future innovation leader.
