TS EN ISO 56000

TS EN ISO 56000 is a vocabulary standard that defines the fundamental concepts and terms used in innovation management. It gives organizations a common language for understanding how innovation is governed and organised, treating innovation not just as idea generation but as the structured creation and development of value.

The conceptual frame of innovation management

This standard addresses innovation management as a management discipline relevant to organizations of every type, sector, maturity level and size. It provides general terminology that spans product, service, process, model and method innovations, as well as different forms of innovation such as incremental, radical and disruptive approaches. It also helps distinguish between internal and open innovation, and between user-, market-, design- and technology-driven innovation activities.

Why the terminology matters

In innovation management, consistency of language is essential for strategy, process, measurement and communication. As a vocabulary standard, it aligns commonly used concepts so that innovation activities can be planned, carried out and discussed with a shared understanding. In general technical context, standards of this kind do not prescribe how to implement innovation; they clarify the basic conceptual and linguistic framework used across the field.

• Applicable to all kinds of organizations, regardless of sector, size, type or maturity level.
• Covers a broad conceptual base for different types and forms of innovation.
• Supports consistent understanding of key innovation management terms.
• Distinguishes among internal, open, user-driven, market-driven, design-driven and technology-driven approaches.