Innovation Fields & Portfolio

Know where to innovate – and where not to

Many ideas. Many projects. But where's the focus? What truly has future potential? Innovation Fields identifies 5-8 prioritized innovation fields for your company. Optionally, align your existing portfolio with these fields.

Request project

Prioritized innovation fields

with evaluation

End-to-end process from trends

up to the project roadmap

Optional: Portfolio Assessment

with Keep/Optimize/Phase-Out logic

200+ companies are shaping the future with us

Why innovation portfolios get out of control

47 ongoing projects, but no focus areas

Teams launch initiatives because they sound promising. Nobody asks: Does this align with our future strategy? After two years, you have 47 projects, but none of them have achieved strategic impact.

"We've invested a little bit everywhere, but haven't truly broken through anywhere."

Each department prioritizes differently

Marketing sees opportunities in AI. R&D focuses on sustainability. Sales wants digital services. Without a shared evaluation logic, the loudest voice – or the biggest budget – ultimately makes the decision.

"In every meeting, we discuss the same priorities without reaching a decision."

The portfolio was never aligned with the future

Your product portfolio has evolved organically. But which products will still be relevant in 5 years? Which business areas should you expand, and which should you phase out? Without a future perspective, portfolio management remains administration rather than strategy.

“We optimize what exists, but we have no plan for what our portfolio should look like in 5 years.”

The Approach

From Trends to Focus Areas to Portfolio Decisions

Innovation Fields & Portfolio connects two things that are often treated separately: the question of where you should innovate – and the question of how your portfolio responds to that.

Define Innovation FieldsFrom trends, internal ideas, and market opportunities, we derive focused action areas. Not 47 projects, but 5-8 innovation fields with clear prioritization.

Align PortfolioYour existing products and services are evaluated against these fields. What fits the future? What should be expanded, and what should be reduced?

Allocate ResourcesThe outcome is not just another report, but a basis for decision-making: Which areas receive budget? Which portfolio elements will be transformed?

Typical project duration: 6-10 weeks, 2-3 workshop days

Innovation Fields (Base)

Innovation Fields Map5-8 prioritized areas of action with strategic classification

Evaluation MatrixUnderstandable criteria (potential, strategic fit, feasibility) for each field

Project RoadmapConcrete initiatives per field, prioritized by quick wins and strategic projects

ResponsibilitiesWho drives which field? How is progress measured?

Typical Project Duration: 6-10 weeks, 2-3 workshop days

Portfolio Assessment

Add-on

Have you already identified innovation areas or do you have an existing portfolio? The portfolio assessment reflects your products and services against future demands.

Future Relevance AssessmentSystematic analysis of each portfolio element

Keep/Optimize/Phase-Out LogicClear decision-making basis for resource allocation

Transformation RoadmapWhich portfolio elements will be expanded, and which will be phased out?

Additional project duration: +2-4 weeks, 1-2 workshop days

From Assessment to Decision

1. Current State Assessment

Analysis of your existing initiatives, identified trends, and strategic goals. Which topics are you already addressing? Where are there overlaps, where are there gaps? What does your current portfolio look like?

2. Area Definition

Consolidating individual trends, ideas, and projects into coherent innovation areas. Each area is given clear boundaries and a description of what belongs – and what doesn't.

3. Prioritization

Evaluation of areas based on potential, strategic fit, and feasibility. Your existing portfolio is benchmarked against these areas. The result: alignment across the most important areas and clear Keep/Optimize/Phase-Out decisions.

4. Roadmap & Responsibilities

Translating into concrete initiatives. Which projects already exist? Which ones need to be launched? Which portfolio elements will be transformed? Who will be responsible? Depending on the initial situation, the focus may be more on new innovation areas, portfolio alignment, or both. We clarify this during scoping.

What sets us apart

Why our innovation fields don't just sit on the shelf

Evidence-based

Innovation fields are based on 60,000+ curated trends and market analyses. Not on individual opinions or brainstorming sessions. Each field is supported by trend evidence.

Collaborative

Your team evaluates and prioritizes together. We facilitate, but we don't decide for you. The result: True alignment, not imposed priorities.

Consistent

From trends to fields, to projects, to portfolio decisions. No disconnect between analysis and implementation. The same logic applies throughout the entire process.

Pragmatic

A maximum of 5-8 innovation fields. Clear Keep/Optimize/Phase-Out logic. Concrete project roadmaps. We optimize for usability, not complexity.

Project Example

Kardex Remstar: From 60 Trends to 6 Innovation Fields

Innovation Fields · Intralogistics Specialist

· 8 Weeks

· 2 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?

Download Case Study

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The Process

Analysis of 60 relevant trends from the TRENDONE database

Consolidation into 12 potential innovation fields

Evaluation based on market potential, strategic fit, and feasibility

Prioritization of 6 focus areas with the leadership team

The Outcome6 prioritized innovation fields with a clear roadmap, cross-functional alignment within the leadership team, and concrete next steps for each field.

The TRENDONE database gave us an overview of all relevant trends, allowing us to focus on the most important ones. The workshops were especially valuable because we prioritized ideas together.

Tobias Flury

Head of Technology Kardex Remstar

Kardex Remstar

Project Example

syskomp gehmeyr: Positioning the Portfolio for the Future

Innovation Fields · Portfolio Assessment

· Automotive Supplier

syskomp gehmeyr, a specialist in automotive interior fittings, faced a strategic turning point: its portfolio had grown organically, but which product areas had a future? Which should be expanded, and which reduced?

Download Case Study

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The Process

Systematic analysis of the existing portfolio

Assessment of each business segment for future relevance

Identification of new growth areas based on trend analysis

Development of a Transformation Roadmap

The OutcomeClear Keep/Optimize/Phase-Out logic for the entire portfolio, identification of new growth areas, strategic roadmap for the coming years.

Together with TRENDONE, we were able to establish a future-proof development portfolio at syskomp gehmeyr. Connecting today's product worlds with tomorrow's needs is the key to innovative product solutions for our customers.

Stefan Mostert

Innovation Manager

syskomp

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between Innovation Fields and Portfolio Assessment?

Innovation Fields identifies new growth areas for your company. The portfolio assessment aligns your existing portfolio with the future. You can book both individually or in combination.

How many fields of innovation should we define?

Maximum 5-8 fields. More makes the process confusing and dilutes resource allocation. Together, we prioritize the fields with the highest potential.

Do we need future research first?

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

How long does a portfolio assessment take?

Typically 2-4 weeks with 1-2 workshops. In combination with Innovation Fields, the total duration is extended accordingly.

Can we just do the portfolio assessment without new fields of innovation?

Yes If you want to align your existing portfolio with future trends, a portfolio assessment is sufficient. You don't need to define new fields.

What is the difference with Strategic Scenario Planning?

Innovation Fields answers the question: Where should you innovate? Scenario planning tests your strategy against different futures. Both can be combined to test your fields of innovation for robustness.

Is Innovation Fields & Portfolio the right approach for you?

Sometimes you just need innovation fields. Sometimes just portfolio optimization. Sometimes both. Tell us about your situation, and we'll honestly tell you which approach is right for you.

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Ihr Ansprechpartner

Alexandra Liepe Senior Innovation Consultant

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