Change.
I have recently quit my job as an Industrial Engineer in the semiconductor manufacturing industry and joined another company. Before leaving, however, I had my pick of 3 great companies. What was interesting was that all three companies were in completely different industries (consumer electronics, semiconductor manufacturing, and healthcare IT). I think that's the beauty of being an Industrial Engineer. We are generalists by nature.
My new role requires me to innovate and improve in a big company...which is not the easiest thing in the world. Guy Kawasaki put it nicely: "Creating a new product or service inside such a beast is not necessarily easier; the challenges are just different."
So how do you do it? In his book (Art of the Start), he mentioned a few key points that I thought were applicable to me:
1) Put the company first - Don't try to change, disrupt, or innovate simply to stand out above the rest. Do it so the company can benefit from it. You'll get more buy-in from upper management when they notice your project.
2) Stay under the radar - Don't go flaunting your project ideas if you know there are people who may feel threatened by it. Innovation and change are dangerous to some people. Only reveal your project when you know it is already too big to shut down.
3) Find a godfather - Simply put...find someone who is senior enough to support your project. This person needs to have a certain level of influence and authority in the company.
4) Build on what exists - Don't re-invent the wheel. Use the resources around you and build on top of it.