Mantra to method: lessons from managing innovation on Crossrail, UK

This paper describes how the £14·8 billion Crossrail project in London, UK developed and implemented an innovation strategy to support the delivery of the project. The strategy was designed to encourage the supply chain to develop and apply genuinely beneficial new products, processes and services − then to ensure these were shared throughout the project. The authors identify the steps taken, the managerial process created and the lessons learnt in developing and implementing the strategy. The aim is to contribute to a wider discussion on innovation in the infrastructure community: shifting from mantras about the intrinsic benefits of innovation to evidence about the most effective methods for managing it.