We transform ideas into impact
The right level of innovation competence for your context. We help organisations, and the people inside them, build innovation capability to the level their ambition actually needs - using the ISO 56000 family of standards as a compass, not a destination.
- 30+years in innovation and transformation
- 250+organisations assessed
- 2,000+people trained
A specialist in innovation management and competence. Our Managing Partner convenes the international working group developing ISO 56011, the competence standard for innovation management - so our methods are grounded in how the standards were built, not just how they read.
Learn moreTwo products, one method. The Innovation Zones show how mature your organisation’s innovation needs to be. F!Sk®, our innovation skills framework, shows what your people need to be able to do. We help you diagnose where you are, choose the level that is enough, build the roadmap and develop the capability.
Learn moreSMEs, public bodies and corporates building their own innovation capability - and the agencies, funders and sector bodies who want to raise it across a whole network of organisations.
Learn moreOne size does not fit all
Our framework is an affordable, repeatable, outcomes‑focused way to build innovation capability that is rigorous and ISO‑aligned, but not overwhelming.
What "good looks like" depends on how central innovation is to your strategy, risk appetite and competitive context – good enough at the right maturity is better than chasing perfection.
Ad‑hoc
Firefighting, ideas get lost, change relies on a few heroes, no shared language or simple way to act on ideas.
NEEDS: A light, low‑overhead approach: shared language, a basic way to capture and act on a handful of improvement ideas, less hero‑dependency and firefighting.
Coordinated
Innovation happens, but is patchy; teams work differently; ideas stall and projects clash; innovation feels like extra work.
NEEDS: A simple, shared process with clear steps, roles and basic measures, aligned to 2–3 business themes and integrated into existing planning, not a bolt‑on.
Structured
Some strong pockets, some weak; strategy slides are bold but delivery uneven; every area has its own methods, little coherence.
NEEDS: Structured, documented innovation management, a full lifecycle, portfolio governance across units, and a scalable playbook that makes innovation teachable and repeatable.
Managed
Significant innovation spend, multiple programmes; leadership asks 'What are we getting for this?'; anecdotes and politics dominate portfolio decisions.
NEEDS: Robust KPIs and dashboards, evidence‑based portfolio steering, integration with finance and risk, regular reviews and audits so innovation is a managed strategic asset.
Optimising
Current processes have plateaued; competitors copy faster; you need to orchestrate ecosystems and continuously reconfigure how you innovate.
NEEDS: Continuous experimentation on your innovation approach, ecosystem and partner models, deep learning culture, and evolving design of innovation as a strategic, resilient asset.
Organisations don't innovate. People do.
Most people who are asked to "do innovation" were never told what that means, or what good looks like.
Innovation is a competence, not a trait. It can be described, assessed and developed like any other professional skill - and F!Sk® does exactly that.
So the question is never "are you innovative?" but "what does your role need you to be able to do - and where are you today?"
- Sharper language for what they already do well.
- A focused top-three development list, not a training catalogue.
- A personal report, traceable to ISO 56001 and ISO/DIS 56011.
- For their leaders: a team view of capability against what your target Zone needs.
- Validated by Ulster University as "the first model of its kind"
- Cross-referenced to all 44 competences of ISO/DIS 56011, the draft international standard
- Used with leadership teams and practitioners internationally
And it joins up with your Zone. Each Innovation Zone names the minimum competence its jobs need - so maturing your organisation and developing your people become one plan, not two.
HOW THE TWO FIT TOGETHER
What our clients say
Celsio worked with us to ensure the strategy had a heartbeat, secured buy-in from staff and senior teams alike, and was fit to underpin the future direction of the council.
To come away from a course with a genuine action plan is unheard of! I'm excited to share my knowledge and help lead my organisation on an innovation journey.
I came away from the session buzzing with ideas and determined to make some time to put them into place. I generated a much better understanding of why an innovation strategy was important.
This metaphor led to us defining a new succinct business centric message resulting in an immediate increase in customer engagement.
The session was interesting, engaging and thought provoking, with plenty of practical tools and ideas to put into practice.
Charlie’s delivery was excellent - engaging, insightful, and highly relatable. He created an open and collaborative environment that encouraged real discussion and reflection.
Charlie's fresh approach to innovation broadened my horizons and got me thinking more.
I think this programme is excellent. The facilitators demonstrated passion, knowledge, and the ability to encourage participants to think creatively and explore deeply the challenges faced by sports clubs in Ireland.
The Celsio approach was refreshingly new. They worked with the team on a consensual approach to our innovation strategy that had buy-in from all the team members.