Johnson & Johnson listed as 2020 Best Workplace for Innovators

Pharma News: Now more than ever, businesses must innovate to survive and thrive. Fast Company’s annual list of the Best Workplaces for Innovators identifies which companies are encouraging bold experimentation, not just from the C-suite but from every level of the organisation.

Innovation is a key to success in Johnson & Johnson’s overall business which includes Janssen Pharmaceuticals.

The company has taken the COVID-19 challenge head on this year, helping it earn a spot for the second year on the 2020 Fast Company Best Workplaces for Innovators list, which recognises companies from around the world that are encouraging bold experimentation at every level of their organisation.

Johnson & Johnson Innovation – comprised of innovation centres and teams across the globe – also made Fast Company’s inaugural 2020 Innovative Team of the Year list, which honours groups whose creativity and passion have driven a major breakthrough.

“It’s an honour to be recognised by Fast Company,” says Peter Fasolo, Ph.D, Executive Vice President, Chief Human Resources Officer, Johnson & Johnson. “At Johnson & Johnson, we work to foster an environment where employees can innovate and experiment, and this year especially has shown us that our agile ways of working and innovating are helping to develop our employees, as well as meet the world’s most urgent health challenges.”

Last year, Johnson & Johnson invested more than $11 billion in research and development (R&D), making it one of the world’s top investors in innovation across all industries. 

Today, the same technology used to develop the Ebola vaccine is being deployed in the company’s work on an investigational vaccine for COVID-19.

Johnson & Johnson also prides itself on investing in its employees so it can build a diverse, global workforce that’s primed to think big and spark innovation.

In 2019, the company launched its Johnson & Johnson Innovation Champions program, which gives scientists at the company the opportunity to gain knowledge and access additional expertise by exposing them to a network of external innovation partners.

“Our culture of innovation, brought to life by our people and diverse strategic collaborations around the world, enables us to connect Johnson & Johnson with exciting early-stage science to change the trajectory of human health,” said William N. Hait, M.D., Ph.D.,Global Head, Johnson & Johnson External Innovation.

Other companies on Fast Company’s Best Workplaces for Innovators includes Boston Scientific and Abbott.