Associations & Clubs

Innovation for associations and institutions: New horizons for members

Associations and institutions are interested in innovation in order to adapt to the future themselves, and to enable their member companies to innovate. The monthly membership newspaper is not enough. The needs of members, technological progress and the question of the raison d’être are recurring themes.

Drivers of innovation in associations

Digitalization and technological innovations

Advancing digitalization requires associations and institutions to leave the paths of the past and face the challenges of new technologies. Again for the association’s work itself, but also to empower member companies. Questions that arise in this context include:

• What digital products and services will we offer in the future to attract and retain members?
• How are the markets and alternative offers developing? Which digital technologies bring forward in the long term, which only cost time?
• How can associations expand into new sectors without losing their core identity or competing with their members?

Sustainability, ethics and economic viability

Changing legal frameworks and growing environmental awareness require associations and institutions to take a proactive role in designing sustainable and ethically responsible business models. Important challenges in this context are:

• How can technologies and processes be designed sustainably and ethically to best support members and interest groups?
• Which value chains and networks enable sustainability business models that go beyond pure recycling?
• How can market acceptance for sustainable solutions be tested, especially in a time when Sustainability is a trend, but the willingness to pay is still hesitant?

Startups, networking and new ecosystems

Associations are rarely the sole main contacts of their member companies. Rather, member companies want support in networking with other players. With startups, with cooperation partners and with parties in the ecosystem that you don’t yet know yourself. This requires not only a proactive stance, but also the creation of dynamic ecosystems for innovation. Key challenges in this context are:

• How can associations and associations use innovative technologies and processes to retain and support members?
• Which ecosystems enable innovative business models that go beyond traditional structures?
• How can the acceptance of innovative solutions on the market be tested, especially at a time when innovation is in vogue lies, but the implementation hurdles are high?

Those who see these challenges as an opportunity have the opportunity to actively shape entire industries and to unite startups, companies, associations and other players to form the new ecosystem. It is important to promote innovative ideas in order to ensure the future viability of associations, associations and their members together in the long term.