Connect & Develop Complements Research & Develop at P&G

OVERVIEW:Connections—both internal and external—are of increasing importance to innovation and business growth at Procter & Gamble. But the challenge of maintaining effective connections is a formidable one for a global corporation with over 8,000 researchers, 40 percent of whom work outside of North America. Consequently, P&G pursues a “connect and develop” strategy that involves the use of corporate intranet and “smart” reporting systems for knowledge sharing, communities of practice, technology entrepreneurs, joint technology development, liberal licensing of intellectual property, government and university capabilities, and a connection-making exposition held down the street from its world headquarters in Cincinnati, Ohio. Together, they are seen as offering the company an unprecedented opportunity to enrich its innovation portfolio.