Startups in entrepreneurial ecosystems such as Silicon Valley constantly generate potentially disruptive technologies and business models. Consequently, multinational companies are finding it essential to be connected to the ecosystems where these opportunities are emerging, and many have opened "innovation outposts" in these locations. However, not many outposts succeed in effectively connecting their companies with these ecosystems. This article details why outposts often fail to become "effective brokers" and what companies should do for their outposts to deliver their full potential.

Jean-Marc Frangos, Managing Director of Products & Services Research and Open Innovation at BT Group is looking to optimize the London-based telcom company's external innovation process - scouting for new technologies from Silicon Valley, Israel and Asia. Having taken on responsibility for some of BT's internal research labs in 2017, he needs to boost synergies between internal research and external innovation, and to evaluate how these will play out in the future for telecom companies and the implications for BT. Please visit the dedicated case website (https://cases.insead.edu/bt-group/) to access supplementary material.

In 2015, DeliverMeal was a Norwegian online food delivery firm, mostly present in what could be considered emerging markets such as those in Africa. Founded in 2010, the company had experienced extremely rapid international expansion. DeliverMeal followed a global strategy, and standardized processes and turnkey solutions were provided from the headquarters to the subsidiaries.<br><br>The local business development manager at DeliverMeal’s Ivory Coast subsidiary needed to make some decisions on how to react to three demands that had recently been passed down from corporate headquarters, all of which were at odds with the West African environment. How could the Ivory Coast manager meet her headquarters’ corporate expectations and still conduct successful business operations within the local cultural context?

In 2015, DeliverMeal was a Norwegian online food delivery firm, mostly present in what could be considered emerging markets such as those in Africa. Founded in 2010, the company had experienced extremely rapid international expansion. DeliverMeal followed a global strategy, and standardized processes and turnkey solutions were provided from the headquarters to the subsidiaries.<br><br>The local business development manager at DeliverMeal's Ivory Coast subsidiary needed to make some decisions on how to react to three demands that had recently been passed down from corporate headquarters, all of which were at odds with the West African environment. How could the Ivory Coast manager meet her headquarters' corporate expectations and still conduct successful business operations within the local cultural context?