International Society for Professional Innovation Management

What International Society for Professional Innovation Management does

ISPIM (International Society for Professional Innovation Management) is a not-for-profit professional association and the self-described oldest, largest, and most active truly global innovation network, serving approximately 6,000 members across 100 countries. The organization operates through two legal entities: The International Society for Professional Innovation Management Ltd, registered as a Company Limited by Guarantee in England and Wales (Companies House #5243278), and ISPIM Oy in Finland. Its primary user base is innovation management professionals from academia, industry, consulting, and the public sector who use ISPIM for networking, peer-reviewed research publication, and professional development.

The portfolio is anchored by an event-driven model: the annual ISPIM Innovation Conference attracts 500–600 professionals from over 50 countries, and the regional ISPIM Connects series brings together around 200 professionals from 25+ countries per event. Supporting offerings include 13+ Special Interest Groups (Digital Disruption, Health Innovation, Living Labs, Responsible Innovation, Futures & Foresight, ISO Standards & Body of Knowledge, and others), peer-reviewed publications governed by COPE ethics guidelines, the monthly ISPIM News newsletter, and emerging member tools such as the Innovation Leadership Competency Index, the Impact Pathway Toolkit with facilitator training, and the CHESS Action Manual for social innovation ecosystem building. ISPIM does not develop proprietary technology products; its core technology function is the JoinIt-powered membership portal and the Wix-based website ecosystem that supports self-serve membership and event registration.

Revenue is generated through three streams: membership subscriptions (recurring annual dues), event registrations (flagship and ISPIM Connects conferences), and publications and research access. Distribution is primarily self-serve through the JoinIt membership portal and dedicated conference websites. Strategic positioning is reinforced through partnerships with EU Horizon Europe projects (CHESS, SF4S), the European Network of Living Labs, and academic institutions including Media University of Applied Sciences and Kasetsart University, alongside engagement with ISO 56002:2019 innovation management standards.

Name

International Society for Professional Innovation Management

Legal name

The International Society for Professional Innovation Management Ltd

Website

https://ispim-innovation.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ISPIM is a not-for-profit professional association connecting 6,000 innovation management professionals across 100 countries through annual conferences, regional ISPIM Connects events, 13+ Special Interest Groups, and peer-reviewed publications. It operates from the UK and Finland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Manchester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: ISPIM generates revenue through annual membership fees that provide access to the professional network, publications, events, and special interest groups for innovation management professionals worldwide.
2. Event Registrations: The organization hosts major conferences (ISPIM Innovation Conference, ISPIM Connects events) and charges registration fees for attendance, including the annual conference attracting 500-600 innovation professionals from over 50 countries.
3. Publications and Research: ISPIM publishes peer-reviewed journals and research materials related to innovation management, potentially generating revenue through publication access and distribution.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

ISPIM is a not-for-profit professional association that connects innovation management professionals globally through membership programs, conferences, special interest groups, and peer-reviewed publications. It offers an annual flagship ISPIM Innovation Conference, regional ISPIM Connects events, 13+ Special Interest Groups covering themes such as Digital Disruption, Responsible Innovation, and Living Labs, plus research publications and a monthly newsletter.

Product overview

ISPIM (International Society for Professional Innovation Management) is a professional association offering a portfolio of services organized around an event-based model with supporting knowledge and community platforms. The core offerings include the annual ISPIM Innovation Conference (flagship event) and regional ISPIM Connects Conferences, complemented by Special Interest Groups (SIGs) covering 13+ innovation management themes, a monthly ISPIM News Newsletter, Research & Publications, and a Membership Program. Supporting offerings include the Impact Pathway Toolkit with facilitator training and certification, the Innovation Leadership Competency Index assessment tool, and the CHESS Action Manual for social innovation ecosystem building. The association is structured as a not-for-profit organization operating through entities in the UK and Finland.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ISPIM Innovation Conference: Annual flagship conference bringing together innovation management professionals from over 50 countries
• ISPIM Connects
• ISPIM News

Products and services

• ISPIM Innovation Conference

Quantifiable outcome

• 6000 members from 100 countries in the global innovation network
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered regional, minor and core.

• Kasetsart University (Thailand)regionalStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 October 2025Kasetsart University, Thailand's largest public research university, is a proud supporter of the ISPIM Connects Bangkok Conference 'Innovating for Impact: People, Planet, Purpose'.
• Foresight AcademyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 May 2025ISPIM SIG 'Futures & Foresight' collaborated with the Foresight Academy for a virtual roundtable webinar exploring foresight practices and organizational foresight implementation.
• EU Project SF4S (Strategic Foresight for Sustainability)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 February 2025ISPIM hosted the EU Project SF4S conference on Future Literacy for Green Growth, bringing together industry leaders, sustainability experts, and educational innovators to explore skills for driving Europe's green growth agenda.
• CHESS Project (Horizon Europe)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 February 2024The Horizon Europe 'Change Hubs for Ecosystemic Social Solutions' (CHESS) project collaborated with ISPIM for the launch of the Social Innovation SIG in February 2024. The CHESS Action Manual is a practical resource developed for ecosystem building for social innovation.
• Media University of Applied Sciences (Germany)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMedia University of Applied Sciences in Germany provides support to the ISPIM Values-based Innovation Special Interest Group, contributing to research and academic collaboration in values-based innovation management.
• European Network of Living Labs (ENoLL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerISPIM's Living Labs SIG acts as a matchmaker and facilitator between ENoLL and ISPIM's other innovation management networks, fostering collaboration between Living Labs researchers, managers, and practitioners worldwide.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• PMI (Project Management Institute): PMI is a large global professional association offering membership, certifications (PMP), and events. It is broader than ISPIM (project management vs. innovation management) but is highly comparable as a peer membership organization monetizing through subscriptions, certifications, and global conferences.
• EFMD (European Foundation for Management Development): EFMD is a large established European management education and development network with a broader scope than ISPIM but overlapping audiences in management education, innovation, and academic-industry collaboration. It offers conferences, accreditations, and community services at greater scale.
• Chartered Association of Business Schools (CABS): CABS is a UK-based membership body for business schools offering events, accreditation, and networking. It overlaps with ISPIM's academic and management-education audience, though CABS focuses on schools rather than individual professionals.

Direct peers

• IAMOT (International Association for Management of Technology): IAMOT is an international scholarly association focused on the management of technology and innovation, closely overlapping ISPIM's academic and practitioner audience. Both run international conferences and publish peer-reviewed research on innovation topics.
• ISPMA (International Software Product Management Association): ISPMA is an international professional association serving software product management professionals. While narrower in scope (software PM vs. innovation management), it competes for the same professional membership audience with conferences, certifications, and community events.
• EIRMA (European Industrial Research and Management Association): EIRMA is a European association focused on industrial research and innovation management, serving a similar corporate R&D and innovation manager audience as ISPIM. Both run networking events, working groups, and research dissemination for innovation leaders.
• Product Development and Management Association (PDMA): PDMA is the global professional association for product development and management professionals, similar to how ISPIM serves innovation management professionals. Both operate membership-based models with peer-reviewed publications, conferences, and special interest communities.

Emerging players

• European Network of Living Labs (ENoLL): ENoLL is both an ISPIM partner and a peer, operating as an international network of Living Labs focused on user-driven innovation. It overlaps with ISPIM's Living Labs SIG and shares the user-innovation and ecosystem-building practitioner audience.
• Knowledge4Innovation (K4I) Forum: K4I is a European policy and innovation stakeholder platform connecting research, industry, and policy makers. While more policy-focused than ISPIM, it serves a similar European innovation ecosystem audience and overlaps with ISPIM's EU partnerships and SIGs.

Regional players

• CII (Confederation of Indian Industry) - Innovation Council: CII runs innovation-focused conferences, awards, and networking programs for industry professionals in India. While regionally scoped, it competes for the attention of innovation professionals in Asia with ISPIM's ISPIM Connects regional events.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/ISPIMInnovation
• Facebookfacebook.com/ispiminnovation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/56751
• Instagraminstagram.com/ispim.innovation
• Xx.com/ispim

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about International Society for Professional Innovation Management