ISO 56001 Certification: Innovation Management

Develop and demonstrate your innovation capabilities and performance to improve success and value created.

Implementing an innovation management system and getting it certified to ISO 56001 demonstrates your commitment to getting it right. The ISO 56001 standard provides specific requirements for an innovation management system that will enhance your innovation capabilities and performance as well as realize value for your company, customers and other stakeholders. The standard is applicable to any type and size of organization.

What is ISO 56001

ISO 56001 is an international standard that outlines the requirements for an Innovation Management System (IMS). It is part of the ISO 56000 family, which provides comprehensive guidelines for managing innovation. The standard aims to help organizations establish, implement, maintain, and improve their innovation management systems to achieve sustained success and enhance innovation performance. A systems approach can reduce the level of uncertainty and increase the feasibility of achieving desired results from your innovation initiatives.
Some of the benefits of implementing an IMS are:

increased realization of value from new products, services, processes, models, methods, etc. for the organization and interested parties.
Enhanced innovation performance through the systematic management of innovation activities under conditions of uncertainty.
Sustained build-up of innovation capabilities.
Enhanced reputation to attract users, customers, employees and partners.
Enhanced capability to collaborate (e.g. in a value chain or an innovation ecosystem).
Improved ability to attract funding.
Increased resilience and ability to evolve in a dynamic and uncertain environment.

By providing a common language and framework, the ISO 56001 standard can also foster collaboration among organisations as it provides a shared framework to innovate together.
Built on the High Level Structure (HLS), ISO 56001 is designed to be compatible with other management standards like ISO 9001 (Quality Management), ISO 14001 (Environmental Management), and ISO 45001 (Occupational Health and Safety Management), allowing organizations to integrate their innovation management efforts with other operational activities.

Benefits of becoming certified

Certification by a third-party like DNV provides independent proof that your IMS complies with the ISO 56001 requirements. It also helps organizations prove their innovation capabilities to investors, customers and other stakeholders seeking validation thereof. It can also be used to qualify suppliers, candidates for funding or as a framework to foster innovation.
Some of the main certification benefits are:

Create confidence in your IMS’ compliance with ISO 56001 requirements.
Build a lasting competitive edge by continuously improving your innovation capabilities.
Demonstrate a commitment to best practices in innovation management to enhance your organization's credibility and reputation.

Getting started

Before becoming certified, you need to implement an effective innovation management system complying with the ISO 56001 requirements. The standard can be purchased on ISO’s website. DNV is an accredited third-party certification body and can help you throughout the journey, starting from relevant ISO 56001 training to self-assessments, gap analysis and certification services. As a DNV customer you also have access to our suite of digital tools that can support you before, during and after the audit.

Learn more about how to get started on the road to certification.