BONAS GROUP
Innovation means remaining open for change as it can take place in every aspect of our business.
© Birgit Maene - Didier Backaert
- Home
- Meet the Innovators
- BONAS GROUP
Spark new ideas to pursue in cross-industry innovation
As the world’s longest-established diamond brokerage and consultancy firm, Bonas Group is an important pilar within the Antwerp diamond ecosystem. The Bonas diamond and gemstone tenders have shaped the success of Antwerp as a premier rough diamond trading centre. In 2024, through their global sales events, over 8 million carats of gemstones were brought to market on behalf of mining companies.
Innovation challenge
Bonas aimed to generate fresh ideas and discover avenues to further strengthen its position, as well as explore new valuable directions. To support this, a series of preparatory creative workshops were held, guided by Verhaert and based on their innovation framework — a clear, step-by-step methodology.
These interactive sessions offered a structured approach that encouraged open dialogue, creativity, and critical thinking. This process not only helped in surfacing fresh insights but also enabled Bonas to identify and prioritize areas to pursue. As a result, three main themes emerged from the process.
Solution explored
Building on the outcomes of the initial workshops, some of the innovation themes were explored in greater depth.
The first area focused on leveraging data-driven insights to enhance commercial decision-making within sales operations. The second examined ways to elevate the customer journey by integrating efficiencies and digital tools with personalised service. The third involved investigating new strategic directions, including emerging opportunities within adjacent segments of the diamond and jewellery ecosystem.
To support this, Verhaert conducted desk research, complemented by insights from supplementary interviews with industry stakeholders. The objective was to identify unmet needs and gaps in the current landscape and uncover areas where Bonas’ current proposition could deliver meaningful differentiation and value. These pathways offer Bonas Group opportunities to develop and introduce additional valuable propositions over time, allowing the company to enhance its service portfolio, meet new customer demands, and strengthen its overall market position for sustained success.
