The paper presents to managers' and scholars' reasons for using models to determine the strategic importance of innovation and its potential value creation. The model of value based innovation (VBI) provides a clear definition of the adequate value curve to be pursued in any innovation action, from strategic definition to operational product conceptualization and production. The VBI model has been applied in strategic planning in over 100 SMEs throughout Portugal and USA by the authors and

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... consultant companies. The VBI model provides the practitioners and scholars with a pragmatic tool to determine innovation's value creation. Connecting this information with strategic thinking and planning will reduce risk and avoid failure. The theoretical model when converted into a technological application provides an immediate insight into the most adequate strategic innovation to be chosen by top management and operational product developers. The paper demonstrates the relation between innovation and value creation.