Damien Heiss is Corporate Innovation Manager at Framatome. He reminds us that Framatome is a nuclear boiler manufacturer with 19,000 employees and €4 billion in revenue. In this highly industrial environment, providing structured support to project leaders has become a central challenge.
He explains that the innovation methods used within the company are already well known and mastered. Teams are familiar with Lean Startup, Effectuation, Blue Ocean Strategy, and the Business Model Canvas. However, despite this strong methodological knowledge, a need emerged: having a framework that could guide project leaders in the use of these approaches. Innovation managers often had to decide on their own which method was most appropriate, which created a lack of coherence across the organization.
It is in this context that the company turned to Vianeo. Through the “marrelle” proposed by the solution, Framatome found a framework capable of supporting a project leader from the initial idea all the way to market launch. The tool structures the steps, asks the right questions at the right time, and spares innovation managers from having to determine which method to apply in each situation.
For Damien Heiss, one key insight is that from a project leader’s perspective, the specific method used matters little. Whether Lean Startup, Effectuation, or other approaches are involved, it is not their primary concern. What matters is being supported in transforming their idea into business value. Vianeo meets this expectation by offering a clear, guided pathway, free from methodological considerations that can weigh down the process.
He also highlights the specificities of Framatome’s sector. The company is governed by regulatory authorities and operates in a sovereign context. Projects intended for the market must therefore take into account two essential dimensions: compliance with governance authorities and sovereignty requirements. These constraints strongly shape the way innovation must be managed.
Framatome also covers a wide range of industrial activities. Innovation topics span across all these areas, further reinforcing the need for a consistent framework to support initiatives. As part of its strategic innovation plan, the company has identified six priority pillars, particularly linked to energy transition challenges. These pillars align with the group’s broader strategic direction.
Within these pillars, key themes have been defined. These themes will be the focus of specific work with Vianeo to support associated projects in a structured and coherent manner—from their emergence to their potential market entry.
