Growth Opportunities & Market Exploration

Know where to grow

Your core business is stagnating or being disrupted. You need to diversify – but where to? Growth Opportunities identifies growth areas that match your competencies and have real market potential. Don't guess, explore systematically.

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Validated growth areas

with business cases

Synchronization of market trends,

customer needs and competencies

Leadership Alignment

through a participatory process

200+ companies are shaping the future with us

Why Diversification So Often Fails

Growth Areas Driven by Gut Feeling

The CEO finds electromobility exciting. Sales sees opportunities in Asia. The CTO wants to invest in AI. Without systematic evaluation, the loudest voice ultimately decides – not the best evidence.

"We invested in three growth areas that the board found interesting. None of them worked out."

New Business Areas Lacking Competence Fit

You identify an attractive market, but your organization cannot serve it. You lack the necessary skills, sales channels, or customer relationships. The growth area fits the market, but not your organization.

"The market was there, but we had no idea how to tap into it."

Too Early or Too Late

Timing is crucial. Too early means the market isn't ready yet, and you'll burn through cash. Too late means competitors are already established, and entry is expensive. Finding the right time requires a systematic approach.

"By the time we were finally ready, three competitors had already divided up the market."

The Approach

Synchronizing Four Dimensions

Growth areas don't emerge from a single dimension. We bring together what belongs together – and find the intersection where real opportunities lie.

Market TrendsWhat's developing in markets? Which technologies, regulations, and behavioral changes create new opportunities? 50,000+ curated trends as a foundation.

Customer NeedsWhat will customers need in the future? Which problems are still unsolved? Where are new needs emerging that no one is addressing yet?

Strategic AmbitionWhere does your organization want to go? What aligns with your vision, mission, and long-term goals? In which direction do you want to grow?

Core CompetenciesWhat are you exceptionally good at? Which skills, assets, and relationships can you transfer to new areas?

What You Get

The result is not a list of "interesting markets," but validated growth areas with clear evidence – and a leadership team that stands behind them.

2-4 validated growth areas

Systematically identified, evaluated, and prioritized

Business Cases

Market potential, competitive landscape, entry options per area

Evaluation Matrix

Clear Criteria (Attractiveness, Strategic Fit, Feasibility)

Implementation Roadmap

What first? Which resources? Who is responsible?

Leadership-Alignment

Commitment through participatory development

Typical project duration: 10-14 weeks, 4-6 workshop days

From Exploration to Decision

1. Needs & Status Quo

Where do you stand today? Analysis of your strategic goals, core competencies, and existing portfolio gaps. Defining search areas: Where should we be looking?

2. Opportunity Scanning

Systematic identification of potential growth areas. Analyze market trends, explore customer needs, identify technology enablers, research cross-industry best practices. Result: Longlist of potential areas.

3. Evaluation & Prioritization

Evaluation of the areas based on attractiveness, strategic fit, and feasibility. Together with your leadership team, not as a ready-made presentation. The result: 2-4 prioritized growth areas with business cases.

4. Roadmap & Commitment

Detailed planning for the top areas: How do we develop them? What resources do we need? Who is responsible for what? Communication foundation for the board and stakeholders.

What sets us apart

Why our growth areas don't emerge in a vacuum

Evidence-based

Growth areas are based on 50,000+ curated trends and market analyses, not on brainstorming or individual opinions. Each area is underpinned by trend evidence and market data.

Synchronized

We bring together four dimensions: market trends, customer needs, strategy, and capabilities. Only at their intersection do areas emerge that are both attractive and feasible.

Participatory

Your leadership team develops and prioritizes together. We moderate, but we don't decide for you. The result: genuine commitment, not imposed strategies.

Timing-optimized

Not just "what," but also "when." We analyze whether markets are ready and when the optimal entry point is – not too early, not too late.

Project Example

From Core Competence to New Growth Areas

Mid-sized Industrial Supplier

· 12 weeks

· 5 workshops

An established supplier to the automotive industry faced a challenge: its core business relied on internal combustion engines. The transition to electric mobility required new growth areas – but which ones?

The Process

Analysis of transferable core competencies (precision manufacturing, quality management, customer relationships)

Screening of 80+ potential growth areas from trend database

Synchronization with market trends (e-mobility, lightweight construction, automation)

Evaluation based on attractiveness, competence fit, and timing

Prioritizing 3 growth areas with the leadership team

The Outcome3 validated growth areas with business cases, clear roadmap for the next 24 months, budget commitment from management, first pilot projects launched within 6 months.

“For the first time, we had a solid foundation for our diversification strategy. Discussions were data-driven instead of political.”

Managing Director

When is Growth Opportunities the right approach?

Growth Opportunities helps you systematically identify new growth areas. This approach is right for you if:

you want to tap into growth areas outside your core markets

you want to diversify and prioritize based on data

you want to enter new markets with validated opportunity spaces

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When other approaches are a better fit:

Strategic Scenario Planning

Want to test your innovation areas against various future scenarios? Scenario Planning reveals which innovation fields become relevant in each scenario.

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Innovation Fields & Portfolio

Identified growth areas and want to integrate them into your portfolio? Innovation fields and portfolio management will guide you.

Learn more

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Future Research

Need clarity on relevant trends first? Future Research lays the groundwork for innovation field development.

Learn more

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between Growth Opportunities and Innovation Fields?

Innovation Fields identifies new fields of innovation within your industry. Growth fields are suitable for opening up new business potential and growth. Innovation fields help structure and strategically align innovation activities.

How many growth areas should we identify?

Typically 2-4 fields. Focused selection enables clear allocation of resources and faster implementation. Together, we prioritize the most promising opportunities for your company.

Do we need custom research beforehand?

Not necessarily. If you already have clarity about relevant market trends, we'll start with opportunity scanning right away. If not, a focused research module can speed up the process.

What is the difference to traditional strategy consulting?

Classic strategy consulting focuses primarily on market analysis. We synchronize four dimensions: market trends, customer needs, strategy and competencies. And we work with your team in a participatory way, not as a finished presentation. So that the results don't end up in the drawer.

Can we validate just one growth area?

Yes If you already have a clear hypothesis, we'll focus on validation rather than exploration. This reduces volume and investment.

What happens after the project?

They have validated growth areas with business cases and a roadmap. The implementation is up to you. Optionally, we will assist you with the implementation with sparring.

Are Growth Opportunities the right approach for you?

Sometimes you need initial research on specific markets. Sometimes you already have clear hypotheses that need validation. Sometimes the question of diversification is still completely open. Tell us about your situation.

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Ihr Ansprechpartner

Alexandra Liepe Head of Business Development

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