CTO Forum: The Playbooks

In conjunction with the CTOs of 8 leading global brands representing different industry sectors, Science Group has established a Forum to address issues of material interest to R&D leaders. This CTO Forum was established to facilitate knowledge transfer between those leading the research and innovation organization of major international companies with the goal of sharing insights and of developing actionable tools and methods that can be put to practice within the R&D function. To create these outputs, Science Group participates in (and facilitates) the Forum regularly consulting with senior executives of the participating companies, drawing on its own wide base of knowledge and experience, and undertaking its own research.

Science Group is grateful for the cooperation, support and insight provided by the members of our CTO Forum.

Outputs include:

This Playbook, released in February 2024, addresses the apparent Growth and Sustainability paradox. It is designed primarily for those leading R&D, innovation and other business functions that share the goal of realizing progress on sustainability whilst not compromising business growth.

The Playbook contains 3 Plays, 10 Principles and 3 Tools that organisations can use internally. There are also observations and case studies from participating organisations.

To access a full copy of the Growth & Sustainability Playbook please submit your business email address.

For a taste of the Playbook, please see the excerpt below:

The NetZero Playbook was the first output from the Science Group CTO Forum and addresses how to make good on Net Zero pledges. The Playbook was first released in 2022 as an abridged version. From March 2024, the full Playbook is now available for download. The full edition considers 3 distinct ‘plays’; Commit, Plan, and Do and includes observations and practical tools that you can use in your own organisation. These include:

• The net zero maturity model: where is your organisation on its journey to Net Zero
• The who does what framework: how does R&D work with other business functions
• Carbon battlegrounds: prioritize carbon reduction targets
• Carbon scorecard: check the carbon health of your R&D portfolio
• Innovation flywheels: identify synergies between traditional innovation goals and Net Zero targets
• Twelve inventive principles: innovating with net zero in mind
• The green premium?: will the market bear the cost of a green alternative

This Playbook is a tool that R&D leadership can use as they tackle the challenge of reducing carbon. The Playbook was recently featured in the MIT Sloan Business review and the article can be accessed here.

To access a copy of the Net Zero Playbook please submit your business email address.

Email us at [email protected] if these topics resonate and you would like to have some further discussions on how to embed the principles in your own organisations.