Unleashing the Power of Creativity
Creativity is increasingly becoming a strategic success factor for companies, not just in research. It's a key competency that needs to be deliberately awakened and fostered.
From the wheel to the space capsule, from printing press to chatbot – ideas and inventions run through human history. Sometimes they have fatal consequences, but often they prove to be a blessing. And we need plenty more of them, given the many challenges and existential problems we face.
Where do the ideas come from that bring positive progress and change our future? Often from the laboratory. Frequently from long, quiet contemplation. Or through the swarm intelligence of many. And sometimes from an individual's flash of insight, while jogging, having dinner, or in countless other everyday situations.
Yet regardless of their origin, these pivotal moments share a common thread: all transformative changes stem from the desire to approach things differently, to rethink possibilities. This stems from an intrinsic drive, a creative force. World Creativity and Innovation Day on April 21 specifically highlights this connection.
The Corporate Need for Creative Minds
Creativity is increasingly becoming a strategic success factor for companies. It's a key competency that all employees should awaken within themselves. Creative abilities enable people to handle change and to embark on new paths together in an increasingly complex and dynamic work environment.
Creative, unconventional thinking helps actively shape innovation – in all areas and regardless of role or function. Covestro believes that in its organization "Everyone is an innovator."
The company actively fosters creative thinking through various initiatives: training programs, open collaboration spaces, and Expedition C – an internal learning platform focused on contemporary topics that emphasize creativity and collaboration.
Cultivating Mental Strength
Yet, exceptional creativity requires more than curiosity and expertise. Breakthrough ideas and solutions demand mental resilience – a balanced mind. Research indicates that relaxation triggers alpha waves, the neural foundation for creative processes. When individuals can effectively manage stress rather than succumb to it, their capacity for novel connections and innovative solutions expands.
Covestro incorporates this insight into its practices. Through Corporate Health Management, employees learn techniques for effective stress management and mental conditioning, creating space for innovation even during periods of transformation and high workload.
The Convergence of Creativity and Science
At Covestro, creativity isn't left to chance but integrated into a strategic innovation framework inside and outside its research and innovation functions. The "Open Innovation Platform" channels external perspectives through partnerships with startups and universities, enabling Covestro to blend creative thinking with scientific excellence.
Giving free rein to imagination and maximizing creative potential – this is the winning formula for transforming companies into the pioneers needed for our complex present and challenging future. World Creativity and Innovation Day shouldn't be a single annual event but a daily celebration in both business and society.