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Filip Lešťan

Nord University Business School, Norway, PhD Candidate in Business Economics
He is a researcher in entrepreneurship and innovation based in Norway at Nord University Business School. His research focuses on how, when, and why innovation impacts performance outcomes in both private-sector organizations and public-sector institutions. He serves as a Fellow in the Government Analytics programme at the World Bank Group – Institute for Economic Development, where he focuses on data-driven decision-making in public policy. He is an alumnus of the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO), where he specialised in international trade and energy diplomacy, with a focus on the oil and gas sector. Previously, he worked as a researcher and analyst at the OECD in Paris and conducted research at leading international institutions, including London Business School, the University of Pretoria (South Africa), and the University of Campinas (Brazil). In 2023, he contributed to the development of the blue paper “Living Labs: Decarbonisation through Innovation”, prepared for the Government Office of the Slovak Republic in collaboration with the Research and Innovation Authority (VAIA), as part of the National Research, Development and Innovation Strategy 2030. He is the author of several peer-reviewed studies published in international journals, including a large-scale meta-analysis of more than 320,000 organisations examining when and how innovation delivers tangible results. In his work, he consistently bridges rigorous empirical research with practical innovation challenges.
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  • Many Innovations. Few Results. (5 min)
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    Innovation and AI are increasingly seen as solutions to almost every problem--in business as well as in the public sector. However, empirical evidence suggests a more complex reality. In this presentation, I will share key findings from our research based on a meta-analysis of more than 320,000 organizations. The results show that while innovation does generally have positive effects, its actual impact is far smaller than commonly assumed, and certainly not universal across organizations. Using a simple example from micromobility, I will illustrate why large technological investments, and seemingly good ideas do not automatically lead to better outcomes. The core problem is often not a lack of technology, but how innovation is done: the choices organizations make, what they measure, and what they define as success. In the final part of the presentation, I will address why AI, by itself, will not “save” innovation. Drawing on evidence from our experimental research, I will show that AI typically amplifies existing processes both good and bad. If organizations continue to innovate in traditional or flawed ways, AI will merely accelerate problems already embedded in the system. The presentation offers a practical, evidence-based perspective on how to move from innovation as an activity to innovation that delivers real results.

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