Innovationship has been described as the secret ingredient for successful innovation in a new book.
When Francesco Starace became CEO of Enel, one of the world’s largest energy companies, he realized that the firm could no longer rely solely on its internal R&D to tackle challenges such as renewables, smart grids, and electric mobility. What Enel lacked was not technological capability but the relational capital to connect with the thousands of innovators working outside its boundaries.
Francesco Starace and innovation leader Ernesto Ciorra launched Open Power, transforming Enel into an open innovation network. They built Innovation Hubs in Tel Aviv, Silicon Valley, and Madrid to engage startups, universities, and researchers. They also created programs such as My Best Failure, encouraging employees to share lessons from unsuccessful projects — building trust and openness as cultural foundations. The result was a company that learned to innovate with others rather than for others, accelerating its transition toward sustainability and digital transformation.
Innovationship
This is exactly the kind of transformation explored in the book Innovationship: Innovation Driven by Relationship (Bocconi University Press). The book shows how relationships — not just technologies or investments — determine innovation success. It offers a roadmap for leaders who want to build, activate, and use relational capital consciously and strategically.
In Enel’s case, partnerships created through trust and shared purpose became the true source of competitive advantage.
The company didn’t just open its labs; it opened its relationships — turning connection into innovation. From a conventional utility company, Enel evolved into a model of innovation and agility—setting the standard for the entire energy sector and inspiring firms far outside it.
Whether you are driving digital transformation, scaling open innovation, or building ecosystems, Innovationship helps you turn networks into strategic assets.
More about the book
Innovationship: Innovation Driven by Relationship
Authors
Benedetto Buono is the founding partner of the strategic-relational consulting boutique Buono & Partners. He is Director of the Professional Program in Business Networking at the POLIMI Graduate School of Management. He writes for the Econopoly column of Il Sole 24 Ore.
Federico Frattini is Dean of the POLIMI Graduate School of Management and Full Professor of Strategic Management and Innovation, as well as member of the management committee of POLIMI GSOM. His main contribution to management research is in the field of open innovation, and in particular technology leveraging strategies.
Wim Vanhaverbeke is Professor of Digital Strategy and Innovation at the University of Antwerp. His research focuses on digital transformation, innovation ecosystems, and open innovation, with publications in leading journals. He is Editor-in-Chief of Technovation and a prominent academic voice in digital transformation and innovation ecosystem research. He co-founded the European Innovation Forum with Henry Chesbrough in 2012 and co-organized the World Open Innovation Conference in 2016.
