Managing ambidexterity tensions in transferring innovation projects to mainstream units

Purpose In a high-tech environment with unsatisfactory innovation results, this research investigates how strategic innovations can be more effectively transferred into the core business, considering the integration challenges within an ambidexterity context. Design/methodology/approach Research was conducted in a major Brazilian public biopharmaceutical laboratory using mixed methods: a process-oriented methodology accounting for the significance of project stages and timeline and a grounded theory approach for inductive analysis of discourses during the project transfer to the core business. Findings The primary outcome is a conceptual model focused on the innovation transfer process and its redefinition throughout new product development phases. The results demonstrate the organizational and project-level integration practices that enabled the flow of innovation projects into mainstream operations. Mechanisms facilitating access to crucial resources significantly promoted the integration and the transfer. Research limitations/implications The company faces the challenges and constraints of the public sector. Including diverse contexts would enhance the results. Practical implications The study indicates that stimulating an ambidextrous orientation and leveraging the flexibility of resource exchange processes can significantly promote innovation transfer. Originality/value The research shows how a process view affects the transfer of innovations to regular operations, offering a novel approach to managing innovation projects in ambidextrous organizations. It revisits the concept of innovation transfer as an ongoing process rather than a singular event at the end of an innovation project. Finally, the results highlight resource exchange mechanisms essential to balancing exploration and exploitation.