Charting the Strategic Territories

Client Nissan Europe

Focus New Revenue

Scope Innovation Lab Teams (Corporate Entrepreneurs)

The Context

Nissan had established an Innovation Lab to explore the future of mobility. The strategic mandate was clear: Mobility as a Service, electric vehicle transition, online purchasing, and second-hand sales.

The Friction

Four strategic territories meant overwhelming optionality. Corporate entrepreneurs needed to decide where to focus without clear signals about which opportunities had the highest potential. Analysis paralysis risked consuming resources without producing results.

The Approach

We combined structured prioritization with hands-on coaching. First, cut through the noise to identify highest-potential opportunities. Then, build the capabilities for corporate entrepreneurs to validate and develop those opportunities autonomously.

The Protocol

The 3-Month Venture Sprint: Workshops to prioritize top opportunities across all four strategic areas. Selection of four specific projects for development. Intensive coaching using Design Thinking and Lean Startup. Direct customer interviews and rapid prototyping to test ideas quickly and cheaply.

The Immediate Impact

Created 10 MVPs across strategic opportunity areas. Brought 6 MVPs to market with positive ROI and new revenue streams. Corporate entrepreneurs developed skills and mindset for autonomous, entrepreneurial thinking.

The Legacy

The approach is now the standard for all Innovation Lab projects. Teams think and work like entrepreneurs, and the prioritization and validation methodology has become embedded in how Nissan explores strategic opportunities.

"Beyond the tools and methodology, Forward taught us how to think and work like entrepreneurs."

Ivan Ollivier

Innovation Lab Director, Nissan Europe

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