Innovation
Without a dedicated innovation strategy, companies sail rudderless into a sea of possibilities.
“An Innovation Lab is a dedicated environment—be it physical, virtual, or a blend of both—where organizations can nurture, prototype, and test new ideas outside of their standard business procedures.
It’s a fusion of cutting-edge technology, creative talent, and a culture of continuous learning and iteration.”
Developing your innovation strategy
Consistency over chance Develop a consistent, repeatable framework, ensuring you're not just waiting for lightning to strike. A structured approach identifies pain points early, allowing timely solutions. Don’t be reactive, be proactive
Tackle challenges head on
Your competitors are formulating strategies even if you aren't. Having a dedicated plan ensures you're setting industry trends, not merely following
Streamline resource allocation
Scattered efforts can lead to wasted resources. A focused innovation strategy provides clear direction, ensuring every dollar and hour is spent driving tangible results
Cultivating a Forward-Thinking Culture:
A company with a clear innovation roadmap fosters a culture that values forward-thinking. It's not just about the next product but about envisioning the future of the industry
When is the right time?
The growth phase of the S Curve
When growth is strong through the rapid expansion phase
Budget
During this growth trajectory, you have the financial leverage. Resources are abundant. Invest in future-forward initiatives without straining your bottom line. Allocate capital to structured innovation, laying the groundwork for sustained success
Time
Unlike the start of the S-curve, where survival is the primary focus, or the saturation point where time pressures mount, this growth phase allows you the luxury of time. You can experiment, refine, and iterate without the looming threat of immediate obsolescence
Moral
High growth rates are synonymous with high spirits. Talent is motivated and belief in your company's vision has never been stronger. Harnessing this energy towards structured innovation can yield transformative results
What we offer you
We’ve developed a comprehensive framework to identify innovation opportunities within organisations across 4 key pillars: Culture, Organisation, External Factors and Operational Effectiveness.
We can help you with buy in to KPIs and delivery with impact on your bottom line. We'll help you establish the vision, processes and methodologies to thrive - and guide you at every step
Innovation framework
Help you build an innovation centre of excellence using the methodologies that work in Silicon Valley, through our Innovation scorecard - see below
Founders
Connection across the ecosystem. To investors, government catapult programmes, corporates, universities and academics and policy.
Corporates
Why, when and how you should approach innovation. Either by leveraging frameworks, the Innovation scorecard or through the creation of an Innovation Lab - see below
Innovation scorecard for larger orgs
Culture
Vision, Mission, Values
Psychological safety
Alignment
Leadership
Cognitive diversity
Hiring & Incentives
Autonomy
Time and space
Organisation
Org Structure
X-Functional Collaboration
Funding Innovation Lab
Commitment & Urgency
Portfolio Management
Innovation Strategy
Tools
External Factors
Customer Interviews
Customer feedback
Customer Co-creation
Customer Segments
Emergent Trends
Competition
Partners Suppliers
Events & Tradeshows
Network
Effectiveness
Awards
USPs & Patents
Overall Profitability
Market Share
Velocity
Employee Feedback
Revenue Composition
R&D-to-sales conversion
Customers & Competitors
Common problems and signs
Lack of space & time
''We're finding it hard to drive innovation in our core operations.''
''Our current structure lacks a dedicated space for experimentation, creative thinking, and development of novel ideas.”
Lack of talent
''We're facing challenges in attracting and retaining the innovative talent we need.''
Poor results
''Our previous attempts at innovation haven't lived up to our expectations."
Constantly shifting landscape
''We can’t keep up with innovation, especially in AI."
''How can we prepare for the upcoming market and technology changes?"
Do you need an Innovation Lab?
Solutions
Drive growth in core Operations
Breathe life into stagnating areas by experimenting with fresh approaches and solutions. Teams need space to brainstorm and experiment. An Innovation Lab can offer that essential playground for ideas.
Attract and retain talent
The brightest minds are drawn to places where their ideas can flourish. A dedicated space for innovation can become a magnetic pull.
Learn from past failures - this is key to innovation
Use a structured approach and a tried and tested Silicon Valley methodology, to help you develop your own innovation framework
Understand market and technological shifts
The business world is never static. Monitor, predict and keep a step ahead of market and tech shifts. Prepare, adapt, and capitalize on change
Best Practice
Secure Strong Leadership Support: Having leaders who understand and support the mission of the innovation lab is critical. This includes financial backing and a willingness to accept failures as part of the innovation process.
Foster a Learning Culture: Encourage a culture where team members are not afraid to fail but are committed to learning from every outcome. Documenting and sharing these learnings can provide valuable insights for future projects.
Maintain Flexibility: Innovation is inherently uncertain, so being adaptable and open to changing course based on new information is essential. This includes having flexible funding mechanisms and the ability to pivot when necessary.
Embed Innovation in the Business: Ensure that the innovation lab is well-connected to the core business while maintaining enough independence to explore new ideas. This balance can help in scaling successful projects and integrating them into the broader organization.
Emerging technologies and incubation ideas
Key trends
Human like AI will become reality - Artificial intelligence will likely pass the Turing Test. This could quickly lead to AI-generated virtual assistants that have the capability to carry nuanced conversations with you.
8K virtual reality headsets will become mainstream
Most VR screens will have 8k resolution, which has 4 times the number of pixels on 4k screens. Zero visible pixilation resulting in breathtaking detail and realism. VR games will have near zero latency and a wide field of view.
Brain interface devices will become mainstream
VR headsets could include the option for a brain-computer interface to record users' electrical signals, enabling actions to be directed by merely thinking about them.
The first quantum computers with 1 million Qubits will emerge
By 2035, fully-functional quantum computers could become available to the public both in the cloud and as physical units. A quantum internet would use quantum signals instead of radio waves to send information.
Carbon sequestration will be commonly used in many nations
New methodologies to trap and removing CO2 and methane from the air. Solid CO2 could be used for manufacturing of products. Supply chains will be fully traceable.
3D printed human organs may emerge
3d printing will be used to construct living, biological systems.
The entire ocean floor will be mapped
As of today, less than 10% of the global ocean floor has been mapped.
Organizations in France and Japan are working on a collaborative project called Seabed 2030, that will produce a definitive map of the world ocean floor.
Smart grid technology will become widespread in developed markets
Incubation 2030
Applying Machine Learning To Robotics
Using Machine Learning To Simulate The Physical World
New Defence Technology
New Space Companies
Commercial Open Source Companies
New Enterprise Resource Planning Software
Developer Tools Inspired By Existing Internal Tools
Explainable A.I.
General AI
Quantum
L.L.Ms For Manual Back Office Processes In Legacy Enterprises
Stablecoin Finance
A Way To End Cancer
Foundation Models For Biological Systems
The Managed Service Organization Model For Healthcare
Eliminating Middlemen In Healthcare
Better enterprise ‘glue’ This "glue code" — ETL pipelines, integrations, and custom workflows — more dark matter of the enterprise software universe
… and this year … in 2025
Will be a pivotal year as AI transforms how companies operate. Five key trends shaping the future of business >>
1. Multimodal AI will deliver more context
Multimodal AI is information from text, images, audio and video. It significantly improves the accuracy of AI outputs. A human-centric approach to AI is essential in an increasingly data-rich world. For example, in financial services, this could involve analyzing market commentary videos and considering non-verbal cues, like tone of voice and facial expressions, alongside the spoken words for a more nuanced understanding of market sentiment. In manufacturing, multimodal AI can analyze sensor data like noise and vibrations to proactively address maintenance needs.
2. AI agents will simplify complex tasks
As AI agents become more popular in businesses, they’ll manage complex workflows, automate business processes and support employees. Imagine customer agents providing support with a consistent experience across channels — in person, online and mobile. Employee agents will be able to streamline internal processes; creative agents will enhance design and production skills.
3. Enterprise search will give people knowledge
Enterprise search system are no longer limited to keyword queries. People will now be able to use images, audio, video and conversational prompts to access and use internal data. Financial institutions can tailor internal knowledge searches to specific employee roles, while retailers can allow customers to find products using natural language and images. In healthcare, AI can power intuitive search that understands complex medical terminology. Knowledge graphs have finally come to the fore.
4. AI-powered customer experiences
Customer experiences driven by AI, in part by anticipating and predicting customer needs, but also by helping businesses stay connected to their customers. This translates to increased revenue, efficiency and brand loyalty. Imagine personalized recommendations and AI-enhanced search that understands customer intent. In retail, AI will be able to create personalized shopping experiences and customer support across all shopping channels — online, in store or mobile. Manufacturers will use AI to improve production and customer service.
5. AI will enhance security systems
In 2025, AI will help bolster defenses, identify and combat threats, automate manual security tasks and accelerate response times. However, this also leads to an "arms race" between defenders and attackers, as adversaries leverage AI for more sophisticated attacks. Organizations must proactively address this challenge. Financial institutions can use AI to detect counterfeit documents, and manufacturers can use it to keep data safe and identify potential risks. We also predict that the media and entertainment industry will use AI to combat deepfakes and misinformation.