Speeding Up Innovative Solutions Development in Emergencies: Lessons Learned from the Inspire Ventilator Project

The COVID-19 pandemic brought challenges to society, demanding local and innovative solutions due to the lack of international suppliers. In Brazil, led by the University of Sao Paulo, an emergency pulmonary mechanical ventilation equipment, cheaper than the existing equipment, was developed in a month to be manufactured by local industries, involving 40 multidisciplinary researchers and companies from different sectors. The ability to create this solution articulated by several actors in a small amount of time and with limited resources led us to study this case as an opportunity to learn and be well prepared to face other turbulent contexts. We found that a multidisciplinary knowledge-intense network provided the ground where orchestrators emerged. These orchestrators assumed roles that were not part of their job but were part of their skills. They worked together, taking the roles related to their network and skills. With their legitimacy within the organisation and within society, these orchestrators, leveraged by the communication of a clear mission, fostered access to knowledge and other resources. This chapter briefly describes the case and provides some reflections about the roles augmented for turbulent times, the embedded network, and the orchestrators’ skills throughout the innovation journey.