Innovation Consulting for Growth and Sustainability 🌐 KBC
Consulting Services
Industries
About Us
Careers

People are at the heart of what we do

Innovation consulting represented by a light bulb.

Finding new solutions to challenging problems

Innovation Consulting

What if you could systematically unlock untapped potential for optimization? As an innovation consulting firm, KBC has analyzed thousands of successful innovations and identified patterns. Based on this, the BOLD KBC Center for Innovation has developed a scientifically sound, repeatable methodology. This approach makes it possible to solve even complex challenges, such as radically reducing product costs. With the AI tool bold.ai, your team will soon be working according to “The BOLD Way” method on its own.

Discuss your Project
Portrait photo of John Dowling, a partner at Kemény Boehme Consultants (KBC). A man with short, gray-streaked hair and distinctive dark brown rectangular glasses looks calmly and intently into the camera. He is wearing a dark blue suit with a matching jacket and pants over a light blue shirt without a tie; one hand is casually in his pants pocket, the other loosely at his side, and he maintains an upright and confident posture.
Portrait photo of John Dowling, a partner at Kemény Boehme Consultants (KBC). A man with short, gray-streaked hair and distinctive dark brown rectangular glasses looks calmly and intently into the camera. He is wearing a dark blue suit with a matching jacket and pants over a light blue shirt without a tie; one hand is casually in his pants pocket, the other loosely at his side, and he maintains an upright and confident posture.
John Dowling
Partners
Portrait photo of John Dowling, a partner at Kemény Boehme Consultants (KBC). A man with short, gray-streaked hair and distinctive dark brown rectangular glasses looks calmly and intently into the camera. He is wearing a dark blue suit with a matching jacket and pants over a light blue shirt without a tie; one hand is casually in his pants pocket, the other loosely at his side, and he maintains an upright and confident posture.
Portrait photo of John Dowling, a partner at Kemény Boehme Consultants (KBC). A man with short, gray-streaked hair and distinctive dark brown rectangular glasses looks calmly and intently into the camera. He is wearing a dark blue suit with a matching jacket and pants over a light blue shirt without a tie; one hand is casually in his pants pocket, the other loosely at his side, and he maintains an upright and confident posture.

Your Contact

John Dowling

Partner at KBC and innovation consultant with over 25 years of industry experience

Challenges in Innovation Consulting

Innovation doesn’t happen at the push of a button. As an innovation consulting firm, KBC combines scientifically grounded methodology with decades of project experience. This allows our team of consultants to delve deeply into your specific subject matter—while working closely with your experts. As an AI-enhanced management consulting firm, KBC also brings a third player into the mix: AI. It accelerates research, analysis, and idea evaluation. Creative inspiration and the final say? That always comes from people.

To foster an innovative mindset, we deliberately challenge old ways of thinking in workshops and projects. Building on this foundation, we systematically develop new ideas that drive your company forward. And in day-to-day operations, your team will soon be applying The BOLD Way method on its own, thanks to the AI tool bold.ai.

Innovation cycles are too slow

Competitors are using AI to develop and evaluate new ideas. Your team is still doing this manually and wasting time in the process.

The threat posed by shrinking markets

Profits are plummeting because your industry is losing momentum, products are becoming interchangeable, and a price war is breaking out.

Product costs are too high

Cost pressures lead to decisions that compromise quality, performance, or sustainability.

Tried-and-true processes fail

High resource consumption, bottlenecks, or complex processes call for new approaches that go beyond established routines.

Lack of information on which to base decisions

Your company is investing in innovation without knowing which approaches are cost-effective and scalable.

BOLD KBC Center for Innovation depicted as a flower growing on volcanic rock. Lava is visible in the background, along with the BOLD KBC Center for Innovation logo.

BOLD KBC Center for Innovation

Innovation where it makes a difference: At our BOLD KBC Center for Innovation, we develop new approaches when existing solutions reach their limits. Through strategic context, robust innovation processes, and actionable ideas, we help you shape innovation—economically, technically, and organizationally—so that it becomes an integral part of your day-to-day operations, particularly in the context of sustainability.

Go to the BOLD website

Ways to foster innovation that work in day-to-day operations

As an innovation consulting firm, KBC offers a variety of solutions: innovation management, AI innovation consulting, innovation strategy consulting, innovation in manufacturing, digital innovation, and innovation portfolios.

Effectively embedding innovation management, illustrated by a tree hung with light bulbs.
Effectively embedding innovation management, illustrated by a tree hung with light bulbs.

Effectively embedding innovation management

Many companies have excellent ideas—but they lack an innovation system to turn them into marketable solutions. In its innovation management consulting, KBC focuses on disruption rather than merely optimizing processes: While traditional methods lose their effectiveness over time, our approach— The BOLD Way —drives disruptive change, including in cost reduction. Because true change can only be achieved through radical approaches.

AI consulting depicted by a brain with a compass resting on it
AI consulting depicted by a brain with a compass resting on it

AI Innovation Consulting

With targeted AI consulting, companies can accelerate their innovation. To ensure this works in day-to-day business operations, KBC has developed the AI solution bold.ai. It is based on the scientifically grounded “The BOLD Way” method. With the help of artificial intelligence, your team can quickly and independently develop new innovation approaches and evaluate them in a structured manner. KBC’s team of consultants prepares your employees for this through training sessions and workshops.

Innovation, Strategy, Consulting, and Business Models—sharpened by a piece of paper with a pencil and a pencil sharpener.
Innovation, Strategy, Consulting, and Business Models—sharpened by a piece of paper with a pencil and a pencil sharpener.

Innovation Strategy Consulting – Refining Business Models

When markets change, it puts pressure on skills, technologies, and value creation. At Innovation Strategy Consulting, we approach disruption methodically: Based on scientific analysis and comparisons of thousands of successful innovations , we refine your business model options. Together with your team, we systematically develop viable scenarios that enable growth, radically reduce costs, and open up new target markets. Employees actively shape the change—and the change is reflected in day-to-day operations.

Harnessing innovation in production, illustrated by an assembly line with a light bulb above it
Harnessing innovation in production, illustrated by an assembly line with a light bulb above it

Harnessing Innovation in Manufacturing

Technical challenges typically arise when production, processes, or resources reach their limits. KBC identifies opportunities for you to improve efficiency, optimize material usage, and implement new production approaches. Whether it’s water consumption, throughput, or automation, our solutions are based on a precise analysis of the actual problem and consistently practical approaches. We deliver measurable improvements that reduce your costs, conserve resources, and make innovation sustainable.

Strengthening digital innovation, depicted by a cell phone with a lightbulb in front of it.
Strengthening digital innovation, depicted by a cell phone with a lightbulb in front of it.

Strengthening Digital Innovation

Digital products and services open up new business opportunities—provided they are strategically integrated into your company’s overall strategy. KBC evaluates technological potential, prioritizes digital use cases, and develops structures that accelerate decision-making and reduce your risks. This allows you to turndata, automation, and AI into clear competitive advantages— for digital transformation that makes a tangible difference in your day-to-day operations and boosts your revenue.

Managing innovation portfolios with an impact-oriented approach, illustrated by a steering wheel with plants around it.
Managing innovation portfolios with an impact-oriented approach, illustrated by a steering wheel with plants around it.

Managing innovation portfolios with a focus on impact

It’s often difficult to see which initiatives create real value and which merely tie up time and resources. This is exactly where we come in, working alongside you. Through our innovation portfolio consulting services, we help you organize your ideas, realistically assess their benefits, costs, and risks, and set clear priorities. KBC brings together market insight, technical feasibility, and economic viability—ensuring your budget is allocated where it makes the biggest difference.

Innovation Consulting by the Numbers

Development costs
CAPEX
Quality costs

BOLD Center for Innovation

We take a radical and disruptive approach to innovation consulting. To combine creative methods with practical feasibility, we founded the Entity BOLD Center for Innovation : Here, we tackle complex challenges in sustainability and transformation —and create solutions that are both economically viable and technologically feasible for you.

Portrait photo of John Dowling, a partner at Kemény Boehme Consultants (KBC). A man with short, graying hair and square dark glasses looks calmly and confidently into the camera. He is wearing a dark navy blue suit over a light blue shirt without a tie, with one hand in his pants pocket.
Portrait photo of John Dowling, a partner at Kemény Boehme Consultants (KBC). A man with short, graying hair and square dark glasses looks calmly and confidently into the camera. He is wearing a dark navy blue suit over a light blue shirt without a tie, with one hand in his pants pocket.

This is how we view innovation as a management consulting firm

Innovation happens when relevant problems are solved—not when a method sits unused on a shelf. We start with the real needs of businesses and develop solutions that work in everyday practice and are economically viable.

John Dowling, partner at KBC and innovation consultant with over 25 years of industry experience

Real-World Examples from Innovation Consulting

Industries we advise on innovation

The automotive industry, represented by a wireframe-style car

Automotive

The manufacturing and mechanical engineering industry, represented by a wireframe-style gear

Industry & Mechanical Engineering

The technology industry is represented by a computer chip

Technology

Answers that advance innovation goals

How much does innovation consulting cost—and when is it worth the investment?

The key question is less about the price and more about the value. Innovation consulting pays off when it solves a specific, relevant problem. That’s why KBC always starts with a clear assessment: What exactly is the issue—and what added value can a project realistically deliver?
Based on this, we develop a project framework tailored to your situation—no standard packages, no unnecessary service modules. This way, you invest strategically in initiatives that create real value, rather than in methods, workshops, or ideas that fizzle out in day-to-day operations.

How do I know if innovation consulting is the right choice for my company right now?

Many companies sense that something isn’t working anymore: growth has stalled, costs are rising, or a technical problem is bringing entire departments to a standstill. In situations like these, our innovation consulting can help you regain your bearings. This is especially true when it’s unclear where the actual bottleneck lies and which levers will truly make a difference.
KBC helps you clarify exactly these questions and integrates business model, technology, and operational reality into a path that tangibly moves your company forward. This doesn’t always require a large-scale project—even smaller engagements serving as the “missing link” to what you already have in place can solve concrete problems.

Does KBC use a specific methodology in its innovation consulting services?

We always start by asking: What exactly do you want to change or achieve?
To achieve this, KBC uses scientifically developed methodologies to evaluate and implement ideas in a structured way. Your team brings the technical expertise, while our team of consultants provides innovation know-how, structure, and experience.
There is one more crucial factor for success: mindset. Innovation can only succeed if existing ways of thinking are challenged. This is exactly what we work on in workshops with your team.

What if my problem isn't clearly defined yet before the innovation consultation?

Experience shows that this is a common starting point: there is a sense that the pressure to act is growing—but it’s unclear exactly what the cause is. This is precisely where innovation consulting can help: sorting through issues, revealing connections, and asking the right questions.
KBC supports your team in analyzing the situation in a structured way: Which issues are currently affecting costs or feasibility? What are the root causes? And which issues deserve priority right now? Only then do we decide together which next steps make sense—and which solutions create real value.

How secure is my data when KBC uses AI in its innovation consulting services?

Innovation projects often involve confidential information: product ideas, cost structures, and patents. That’s why KBC uses only vetted AI applications in client projects. KBC protects confidential data in accordance with TISAX, the automotive industry’s security standard. KBC’s AI management system is also currently undergoing certification to ISO 42001. So your data is safe.

KBC has been working with AI itself since 2022. Our team of consultants first tested many applications internally. As a result, we know the pitfalls from our own experience and eliminate them before we deploy AI solutions like bold.ai for you.

Does KBC, as an innovation consulting firm, operate only in Munich, throughout Germany, or internationally as well?

As an international boutique management consulting firm, the KBC team advises companies in Germany, Europe, the U.S., Africa, and Asia. Many companies seeking innovation consulting in Munich or Germany face challenges that extend far beyond national borders. This is precisely where our international experience comes into play. KBC combines a deep understanding of regional markets with a global perspective—ensuring that innovation has an impact in every region.

Portrait photo of John Dowling, a partner at Kemény Boehme Consultants (KBC). A man with short, gray-streaked hair and distinctive dark brown rectangular glasses looks calmly and intently into the camera. He is wearing a dark blue suit with a matching jacket and pants over a light blue shirt without a tie; one hand is casually in his pants pocket, the other loosely at his side, and he maintains an upright and confident posture.
Portrait photo of John Dowling, a partner at Kemény Boehme Consultants (KBC). A man with short, gray-streaked hair and distinctive dark brown rectangular glasses looks calmly and intently into the camera. He is wearing a dark blue suit with a matching jacket and pants over a light blue shirt without a tie; one hand is casually in his pants pocket, the other loosely at his side, and he maintains an upright and confident posture.
John Dowling
Partners

I'll be happy to advise you

Whether it’s innovation management consulting, innovative approaches to production, or AI solutions: In a brief discussion, we’ll determine which steps make sense and how KBC— an international boutique consulting firm based in Munich —can help you move forward.

Discuss your project