About
Competitive Innovation is an innovation and Lean consultancy focus on customising implement and deploying Innovation Management systems.
We work with leadership teams to treat innovation as a managed capability supported by governance, Lean principles and measurable performance.
Our work combines Innovation Management, Lean Product Development and needs-led innovation methodologies to deliver sustainable results.
Competitive Innovation
Our Philosophy
Innovation should not be ad-hoc or just applied only in times of crisis.
Organisations that consistently outperform competitors by XX% manage innovation as deliberately as they manage operations, finance or quality. That requires clarity of strategy, disciplined governance, leadership alignment and structured execution.
At Competitive Innovation, we believe innovation must be:
Strategically aligned
Standards-informed
Lean in execution
Measurable and accountable
Our approach is grounded in international best practice, including the ISO 56000 series of Innovation Management standards, and shaped by decades of senior-level industry experience.
Our Approach
Every engagement begins with clarity.
We begin with an Innovation Management Assessment that evaluates leadership alignment, governance, systems, culture and execution capability.
This diagnostic ensures improvement efforts match the organisation’s current capability and priorities.
From there, we support organisations to:
Define innovation strategy and objectives
Establish governance and management frameworks
Integrate Lean Product Development principles
Build leadership and organisational capability
Embed needs-led innovation processes
Measure innovation performance and outcomes
Our focus is not isolated workshops but the development of sustainable systems that align innovation with day-to-day operational performance.
Experience & Leadership
Competitive Innovation is led by experienced practitioners with deep backgrounds in multinational industry, national innovation programmes and international standards development.
Shane Hughes
CEO
CEO and certified Innovation Management Consultant with over 25 years’ experience delivering innovation, Lean transformation and operational excellence across multinational organisations. Shane has co-facilitated national Lean Product Development masterclasses and led Innovation Management system implementations delivering measurable operational and financial outcomes.
Sean McNulty
Certified Innovation Management Consultant
Certified Innovation Management Consultant and Adjunct Professor at DCU Business School. Sean has played a key role in shaping the ISO 56000 series of Innovation Management standards and has led large-scale national programmes including BioInnovate and the SFI National Challenge Fund, specialising in needs-led innovation and design thinking.
Patrick Lawlor
Innovation and Product Development Specialist
Innovation and Product Development specialist with senior R&D leadership experience across automotive, aerospace and technology sectors. Patrick has led global innovation programmes, commercialised billion-dollar product lines and delivers Lean Product Development and innovation capability programmes nationally.
Jack Hughes
Business Development Executive
Holds an MSc in Management and Marketing from University College Cork, where his dissertation focused on barriers to innovation within organisations, examining the role of leadership, culture, and organisational systems in shaping innovation performance.
Jack supports work across innovation management and organisational development, contributing to the design of assessments, capability-building initiatives, and structured approaches to improving organisational performance.
Alan Doherty
Innovation Consultant
Alan Doherty is founder of Novara Labs and a seasoned innovation leader with extensive
experience in design thinking, strategy, and sustainability. Formerly Head of Innovation
Design at Citibank’s Global Innovation Lab, he has led major programs for Fortune 500
companies, government bodies, and startups alike.
Alan is also a board member of Innovate Island and lectures on innovation at DCU and
Maynooth University
Together, the team combines strategic leadership, international standards expertise, Lean Product Development capability and hands-on delivery experience across industry and public sector contexts.
Our Difference
Competitive Innovation brings together:
✔ Direct involvement in the development of ISO 56001 Innovation Management standards
✔ National programme delivery with IRDG, Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland and Science Foundation Ireland
✔ Deep Lean Product Development expertise
✔ Senior multinational R&D and innovation leadership experience
✔ Authors of The CEO’s Guide to Competitive Innovation
Industry Trusted Expertise
Our focus is on helping organisations deliver measurable and sustainable innovation performance.
This combination of structured methodology and practical industry experience allows us to work effectively with CEOs, innovation leaders and senior management teams.
Knowledge Base
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Structured Innovation Management?
Structured Innovation Management treats innovation as a managed organisational capability supported by governance, clear processes and measurable performance rather than informal idea generation.
How does Lean integrate with Innovation Management?
Lean strengthens innovation by improving prioritisation, reducing waste in development processes and increasing execution reliability. We integrate Lean Product Development within broader Innovation Management systems.
Are you aligned with international standards?
Our work is informed by the ISO 56000 series of Innovation Management standards, and members of our team have contributed to their development.
Do you provide strategic advice or operational support?
Both, we work with leadership teams on innovation strategy and governance while also supporting operational implementation and capability development.
What type of leaders do you typically work with?
We typically work with CEOs, senior leadership teams, innovation leaders and operational directors seeking measurable and sustainable improvements in innovation performance.
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“Competitive Innovation has redefined how we look at the intersection of scale and agility. Their frameworks are not just theoretical—they are the operational blueprint for modern Irish enterprise.”
Leo Clancy
– Enterprise Ireland –