Pioneering Innovation through Experimentation and Internal Culture

Innovation is the lifeblood of advancement; it is woven into the arc of history and human progress. It is a product of experimentation, and even failure, where every setback paves the way for new discoveries. This principle is non-negotiable: if we aren't experimenting, we simply aren't innovating.

Over the years, I've observed a worrisome trend among businesses, particularly corporates. They pour significant resources into technology watching and scouting, yet barely invest in pilot projects and technology proof-of-concepts. This approach, I believe, is a lost cause for a couple of reasons.?

Firstly, by focusing solely on technology scouting and watching, companies barely scratch the surface of technological understanding. They do not grasp the state of the art, the limitations, or the potential implications. By remaining on the surface, they miss out on the deep insights happening on the other side, thus squandering potential opportunities.?

Secondly, the innovation happening outside a company is equally as important as that which is happening within. We need to foster a culture of innovation internally. If only the innovation department engages in technology scouting and watching without involving other departments, we are feeding them only breadcrumbs of the full technological banquet. By not giving them access to test, verify, and experiment with new technologies, we risk stifling their curiosity and their desire to learn and achieve. Without this inclusive approach, a robust innovation culture cannot thrive - a culture that is crucial when we stumble upon the next significant technology that we wish to adopt as a company or that the market is adopting.?

Another overlooked factor in this conversation is the concept of running more Proof of Concepts and Pilots to foster knowledge exchange and know-how. Today, technology is advancing faster than our collective understanding. We are unveiling, launching, and experimenting with too many new things without allowing sufficient time for broad-scale knowledge dissemination.?

Two prime examples of this are robotics and artificial intelligence (AI). Unquestionably, these two sectors will revolutionize the market as we know it today, and every company will eventually have to integrate robotics and AI. The challenge, however, lies in the timing of this adoption process, which entails not just the use but the full integration of these technologies.?

Why is this timing so crucial? If all companies decided to integrate these technologies today, we would face a talent deficit. There simply aren't enough experts to meet the sudden demand surge. This shortage will constitute the greatest obstacle, meaning that those companies that start creating an internal culture around new technologies, making robotics, AI, and other technologies familiar to the entire company, will ride the wave when the need arises. These companies that begin hiring experts today and engage them in cross-departmental dialogues to establish a foundational knowledge base will succeed.?

Those that fail to do so are already losing. When the market boom arrives, where everyone must adopt these technologies, there won't be enough experts to hire, rendering these late-adopters a "dead man walking."

Innovation is about the willingness to experiment and learn, both from the victories and the setbacks. If we wish to be truly innovative, we must learn to appreciate and harness the power of internal culture and collaboration. Remember, the race of innovation isn't always to the swift but to those willing to foster an inclusive culture that anticipates the future.