CIM®

🏅🎓Certified Innovation Management Professional (CIM) – Level1

🏅🎓Certified Innovation Manager (CIM) – Level2

🏅🎓Certified Innovation Director (CID) / Certified Chief Innovation Officer (CIO) – Level3

🏅🎓Certified Innovation Consultant (CIC) – Consultancy Level

Innovation is the Strategic Driver of Business Survive & Thrive

Innovation Is An Ongoing Process — Not A Single Event

The process of managing a company’s innovation strategy, from the first step of ideation to the last stage of successful implementation, is referred to as innovation management. It includes the decisions, activities, and practices associated with creating and carrying out an innovation strategy.

Innovation management is a business discipline that tries to promote a sustainable innovation process or culture within a corporation. These innovative management projects frequently employ a disruptive way of transformation that changes the business.

Innovation as output could result in a product, platform, service, business model, channel, customer experience, enabling process or structure. This is achieved through a structured process of innovation that includes exploration and execution. Exploration involves generating ideas and selecting promising ideas.

Innovation today requires mastering interdisciplinary domains that blend strategy, technology, culture, sustainability, and business transformation. Therefore, HRMI Certified Innovation Management (CIM®) Framework ensures professionals demonstrate measurable competencies across these dimensions and are prepared to lead and consult at global scale, equips them with internationally recognized professional competencies to design, lead, govern, and scale innovation systems aligned with global standards and best practices to create more and better innovative ideas, and tackle real-world challenges by generating new growth opportunities for the organization.

HRMI’s innovation experts designed the CIM program for individuals who are seeking up-to-date innovation knowledge and standards while mastering the tools and methodologies they’ll use in their organizations innovation initiatives.

Level 1 – Certified Innovation Management Professional (CIM®)

Core Competency Domains

1. Innovation Fundamentals & Standards Awareness

• Understanding innovation concepts, terminology, and typologies
• Awareness of ISO 56000 Innovation Management principles
• Understanding incremental, radical, disruptive, and breakthrough innovation

2. Creativity, Ideation & Problem Solving

• Application of structured ideation tools (design thinking, TRIZ, brainstorming)
• Customer-centric problem identification and opportunity framing
• Participation in innovation challenges and improvement initiatives

3. Innovation Process & Execution Support

• Understanding the innovation lifecycle: explore → ideate → test → implement
• Supporting proof-of-concept, pilots, and minimum viable innovations
• Documentation and reporting of innovation activities

4. Team Collaboration & Innovation Culture

• Effective participation in cross-functional innovation teams
• Contribution to collaborative and creative work environments
• Ethical behavior, openness to change, and continuous learning mindset

Proficiency Requirements

Certified professionals must demonstrate the ability to:

• Apply innovation tools at an operational level
• Support innovation projects under supervision
• Contribute ideas that generate measurable value
• Follow organizational innovation processes and governance

Professional Readiness Level:
Practitioner / Contributor / Innovation Team Member

Level 2 – Certified Innovation Manager (CIM®)

Core Competency Domains

1. Innovation Strategy Translation

• Translating corporate strategy into actionable innovation initiatives
• Aligning innovation objectives with business goals and market needs
• Applying innovation portfolio thinking

2. Innovation Program & Portfolio Management

• Managing innovation pipelines, roadmaps, and stage-gate processes
• Prioritizing initiatives based on value, risk, and feasibility
• Applying innovation KPIs and performance metrics

3. Governance, Risk & Compliance

• Applying ISO 56002-aligned innovation governance frameworks
• Managing uncertainty, risk, and resource allocation
• Ensuring compliance with internal and external requirements

4. Leadership, Culture & Change

• Leading innovation teams and facilitating collaboration
• Embedding innovation culture and engagement practices
• Managing resistance to change and organizational learning

Proficiency Requirements

Certified managers must demonstrate the ability to:

• Lead innovation initiatives end-to-end
• Manage people, budgets, and innovation tools
• Measure and report innovation performance
• Drive continuous improvement and operational innovation

Professional Readiness Level:
Manager / Program Lead / Innovation Owner

Level 3 – Certified Innovation Director (CID) / Certified Chief Innovation Officer (CIO)

Core Competency Domains

1. Enterprise Innovation Strategy & Governance

• Defining enterprise-wide innovation vision and strategy
• Establishing Innovation Management Systems (ISO 56002)
• Integrating innovation with corporate governance and ESG objectives

2. Portfolio Investment & Value Creation

• Governing innovation investment and capital allocation
• Balancing short-term gains with long-term growth
• Driving sustainable competitive advantage

3. Organizational Transformation & Leadership

• Leading innovation-led transformation and business renewal
• Aligning leadership, culture, and structure for innovation
• Engaging boards and executive leadership on innovation outcomes

4. External Ecosystems & Open Innovation

• Managing partnerships, startups, universities, and ecosystems
• Leveraging open innovation and intellectual property strategies
• Scaling innovation across regions and business units

Proficiency Requirements

Certified directors must demonstrate the ability to:

• Lead innovation at strategic and enterprise level
• Establish governance, accountability, and performance systems
• Influence executive decision-making and board-level strategy
• Deliver measurable innovation-driven growth and resilience

Professional Readiness Level:
Director / Executive / Chief Innovation or Transformation Leader

Consultancy Level – Certified Innovation Management Consultant (CIM®-C)

Core Competency Domains

1. Innovation System Design & Assessment

• Conducting innovation maturity and capability assessments
• Designing customized innovation frameworks and roadmaps
• Benchmarking organizations against global best practices

2. Advisory, Transformation & Change Enablement

• Advising boards and executives on innovation strategy
• Leading enterprise innovation transformation programs
• Designing governance, operating models, and metrics

3. Standards Implementation & Assurance

• Advising on ISO 56000 series implementation and integration
• Aligning innovation with quality, risk, and compliance systems
• Supporting audits, certifications, and assurance processes

4. Professional Ethics & Consulting Excellence

• Delivering independent, ethical, and evidence-based advice
• Managing complex, multi-sector consulting engagements
• Knowledge transfer, capability building, and thought leadership

Proficiency Requirements

Certified consultants must demonstrate the ability to:

• Operate independently as trusted innovation advisors
• Design, implement, and transform innovation systems
• Guide organizations through uncertainty and disruption
• Deliver measurable strategic, financial, and societal impact

Professional Readiness Level:
Advisor / Expert / Innovation Consultant

CIM^® CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

Requirements for the CIM Certification are:

• Hold an Academic degree,
• At least 4 years work experience ,
• Deliver Project Documentation
• Successful completion of the coursework requirement​,
• ِِِِAgree to abide by the Code of Ethics established by the HRMI, and
• Successful completion of the CIM Exam​
• For Certified Innovation Manager (CIM) – Level2 should hold Certification Level1 or its equivalent
• For Certified Innovation Management Director (CID) – Level3 should hold Certification Level2 or its equivalent
• For Certified Innovation Consultant (CIC) should has 5 years consulting experiences

Requirements for maintaining the CIM designation are:

• Maintain continuous membership with HRMI​ that is in good standing
• Meet the ongoing Continuing Professional Development (CPD)​ requirement
• Abide by the HRMI’s Constitution​ and HRMI’s Code of Ethics.

PROJECT DOCUMENTATION REQUIREMENTS

Candidates must document practical innovation experience, such as:

• Designing or implementing an innovation management system
• Managing an innovation portfolio or program
• Developing a breakthrough innovation initiative
• Publishing a white paper, research study, or professional book

CERTIFICATION PREPARATION

The program would be conducted in the English Language by one of HRMI-Registered Educational Centers (REC^®).
The REC^® has the qualifications necessary to offer this course. The course is delivered by certified HRM^® instructors and has been carefully designed to achieve its goal.

CIM^® Body of Knowledge

• Foundations of Innovation & Value Creation
• Incremental, Radical & Breakthrough Innovation
• Innovation Strategy & Competitive Advantage
• Innovation Processes & Lifecycle Management
• Innovation Leadership, Culture & Governance
• Metrics, KPIs & Innovation Performance
• Risk, IP & Sustainability in Innovation

International Standards Alignment

All Innovation Management certifications are developed in accordance with:

• ISO 56000 Family – Innovation Management
• ISO 9001 (Quality & continuous improvement)
• ISO 31000 (Risk management for innovation)
• ISO 26000 (Sustainability & social innovation)
• BSI Innovation Frameworks
• ANSI & EN management standards
• Global Technical Competence Standards (GTCS)
• International innovation best practices from: OECD, World Economic Forum, European Innovation Council and North American innovation bodies

Upon successful completion of the program, participants will be conferred the Certified Innovation Management (CIM) Professional / Manager/ Consultant by HR Management Institute (HRMI) and Professional Certificate in Innovation Management from Global University of Science & Technology (GUST)