In 2015 Hutchinson launched its first Open Innovation program: MIP (Make It Possible). Taking advantage of the diversity of the teams to expand the scope of innovation, the aim is to get employees from different backgrounds to work together on a theme validated by our CEO Jacques Maigné, in conjunction with Hutchinson’s innovation strategy.
For six months, divided into two or three multidisciplinary teams, the “MIPers” are assisted by an academic partner and trained in the Design Thinking* method. First deployed in France, with the Ecole Centrale de Lyon and emlyon business school as partners, the MIP program is now taking on an international dimension with the arrival in spring 2019 of the first Chinese students trained in Suzhou. The participants are assisted here by Skema Business School and supported by internal Hutchinson mentors.
Following this assistance concerning their topic of reflection, the teams present a new business concept to the Operational Committee; the General Management then decides on the follow-up of this project (incubation, integration in an Activity, non-continuation of the project, etc.).
This led to the creation of the Hut, the first intelligent and humanizing emergency shelter, derived from an MIP concept in 2016 and marketed since 2018!
The MIP program is one of a number of initiatives to develop Hutchinson’s innovation ecosystem!
*Design Thinking is an overall design method or process centered on the user (or the human) with the aim of producing innovative services or products.
