| The phenomenon of bootlegging became a | | | | bottom-up, non-programmed innovation activities |
| popular household name during 1920's prohibition | | | | without the official authorization of the responsible |
| time in the United States. It also used to be a | | | | management, they can be extremely beneficial |
| widely known practice in the early days of music | | | | for the company. Products such as Bayer's Aspirin |
| industry, mostly described as illegal recording of | | | | and Ciprobay, 3M's Post It notes and entire BMW |
| live music performances. But there is much more | | | | car series have been created via bootlegging |
| to bootlegging than high percentage spirits and | | | | projects and generated significant revenue for the |
| forbidden tunes... | | | | organization. |
| Nowadays, bootlegging has become a common | | | | Bootlegging innovation projects within R&D |
| phenomenon in most industries. In a nutshell, | | | | are also known as: |
| bootlegging projects are scientific activities within | | | | - smuggled projects, |
| R&D that are not formally specified in the | | | | - shootouts, |
| contract or grant funding of an organization. They | | | | - slack innovation, |
| usually occur in the initial stages of innovation | | | | - blue sky work, and |
| processes and are the brainchild of highly | | | | - Friday afternoon work. |
| motivated individuals. | | | | However, bootlegging projects are not to be |
| It is common practice that bootlegging projects | | | | confused with skunk work projects. Skunk work |
| are secretly being organized by a small number of | | | | is defined as a sort of elite, working officially on a |
| individuals, beside their regular man-hour count of | | | | given innovation project alongside the formal |
| official project assignments. Hence, they secretly | | | | organization. Skunk work projects are designed |
| and - most often - illegally make use of | | | | for a limited period of time with the purpose to |
| unallocated resources for their bootlegging | | | | solve a particular innovation problem in an efficient |
| activities. | | | | manner. |
| Despite the fact that bootlegging projects are | | | | |