Innovation Talks

By: Paul Heller
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  • Summary

  • Welcome to Innovation Talks. Each week our host, Paul Heller talks at the executive level about how strategic innovation and new product development are essential for thriving in the modern marketplace. Paul is regularly joined by top executives and cross-industry thought leaders who share their unique insights and key learnings garnered from decades of experience.
    Copyright 2024 Innovation Talks
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Episodes
  • Sustainable Innovation: Integrating Value Creation, Project Discipline, and Collaboration with Neil Hawkins

    Sustainable Innovation: Integrating Value Creation, Project Discipline, and Collaboration with Neil Hawkins
    Sep 30 2024
    Today, Paul and Neil Hawkins discuss integrating sustainability into corporate innovation, focusing on blending value creation, project discipline, and collaboration to achieve long-term sustainability goals. An industry expert, Neil discusses his strategies and experiences from his extensive career promoting sustainable business practices. For 31 years, Neil was a key leader at Dow, ultimately serving as Chief Sustainability Officer and CVP, Environment, Health, & Safety for the last twelve years. He was the architect of the breakthrough “valuing nature” collaboration with The Nature Conservancy, and he integrated environmental and social considerations into the core of the Dow’s business strategy and public reporting. He is widely recognized as one of the world's top sustainable business thought leaders. After Dow, as President of Michigan’s Erb Family Foundation, a $350mm regional philanthropy, he focused on improving regional arts in the Great Lakes ecosystem, promoting environmental justice, and founding the Sustainable Business Network of Detroit. He served as interim CEO and President of the World Environment Center, facilitating a merger with Wildlife Habitat Council. He is President of Michigan Sustainability Associates, LLC and Research Advisor/Instructor at Harvard University in the Master of Sustainability ALM program. "Cultivate an environment where sustainability is not just a checkmark but a core value driving every stage gate process." ~Neil Hawkins Today on Innovation Talks: · Integrating sustainability into corporate processes is crucial: Embedding sustainability within every business process drives long-term success and profitability.· Leadership and employee enthusiasm are vital: Effective transformational change hinges on support from both top leadership and committed lower-level employees.· Addressing middle management resistance: The so-called "frozen middle" often resists change; successful strategies involve engaging and educating them.· Early efforts yield financial and environmental returns: Dow's initial sustainability goals delivered a $4 billion return on a $1 billion investment, demonstrating clear economic benefits.· Focus on expertise before implementation: Ensuring capable individuals are in place before integrating sustainability screens prevents ineffective practices.· Continuous progress in sustainable innovation: Companies increasingly adopt sustainability strategies, illustrating an industry-wide shift towards more sustainable practices.· Collaborative initiatives drive innovation: Partnerships with other industries and stakeholders can significantly accelerate sustainability goals.· Listening to stakeholders enhances outcomes: Understanding internal and external stakeholder needs is essential for effective sustainability integration. Guest contact information: Follow Neil Hawkins on LinkedIn for updates on sustainability topicshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/neil-hawkins-he-him-his-695a977?lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ad_flagship3_profile_view_base_contact_details%3B9AeDqQXXSSSaugUSH2vRzQ%3D%3D Resources mentioned: Project Charter Bloghttps://www.linkedin.com/pulse/trick-sustainability-consulting-projects-project-neil-neil-adhpe/ Value Proposition Blog for Sustainabilityhttps://www.wholeworks.com/blog/value-proposition-framework-sustainable-development Systems Change --- Breakthrough versus Incremental -- Systems Shifthttps://www.wholeworks.com/blog/value-proposition-framework-sustainable-development Ready to Transform Your Innovation Strategy? If you're a product manager or innovator looking to streamline your processes and turn chaos into control, you won't want to miss this opportunity.Dive into our exclusive, free eBook on Innovation Ops strategies designed just for you.Learn the secrets to revolutionizing your approach and achieving success with clarity and precision.Download your copy today. Visit https://info.sopheon.com/innovationops-ebookStart your journey to becoming an innovation powerhouse now! This Podcast is brought to you by SopheonThanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Innovation Talks. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts. Apple Podcasts | TuneIn | Stitcher | Spotify | iHeart Be sure to connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, and share your favorite episodes on social media to help us reach more listeners like you. For additional information about new product development or corporate innovation, sign up for Sopheon’s monthly newsletter, where we share news and industry best practices! The fastest way to do this is to go to sopheon.com and click here.
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    41 mins
  • How Do We Move Forward Deploying AI for New Product Development with Bob Cooper

    How Do We Move Forward Deploying AI for New Product Development with Bob Cooper
    Sep 23 2024
    Today, Paul and guest Bob Cooper look deeply into the deployment of artificial intelligence in new product development. The discussion revolves around the challenges of successfully implementing AI projects, the high failure rates, and the potential solutions to overcome these hurdles. They also discuss how AI transforms product innovation and process improvements across various industries, with insights drawn from Bob Cooper's extensive research and practical experiences. Bob Cooper, the founder of the Stage-Gate® methodology, is a renowned expert in new product development and innovation management. With decades of experience, he has been instrumental in refining processes businesses use to navigate the complexities of bringing new products to market. As a prolific author and a thought leader, his work continues to influence how organizations harness technological advancements like artificial intelligence to stay competitive. Cooper’s blend of theoretical knowledge and hands-on expertise makes him a valuable resource for understanding the intricacies of AI in product development. "Imagine AI not as a replacement, but as an augmentation of human capabilities. With the right balance, AI can drive unprecedented innovation in product development." ~ Bob Cooper Today on Innovation Talks: · AI project failures often mimic traditional product development failures, with up to 80% of projects floundering due to poor technical understanding and misjudgment of user needs.· The misinformation from vendors and promotional blogs significantly contributes to the high failure rate of AI projects.· Successful AI deployment frequently parallels the Stage-Gate® processes used in traditional product development, highlighting the need for structured project management.· Data quality is as crucial to AI as material quality is to manufacturing physical products; insufficient or poor-quality data undermines AI performance.· While AI's role in product innovation is substantial, its impact is even more significant in process improvements, facilitating everything from idea generation to market launches.· Trust and readiness to adopt AI are major hurdles; many companies are reluctant to rely fully on AI for decision-making, preferring human oversight.· The financial sector has adopted AI more rapidly than product development industries, indicating a sector-specific readiness and application of AI technologies.· Personal and professional AI literacy is essential; proficiency with tools like ChatGPT can significantly boost productivity and innovation capabilities. Guest Contact Information: Website: www.bobcooper.cahttp://www.bobcooper.ca/ Resources Mentioned: http://www.bobcooper.ca/articles/artificial-intelligence-in-npd Rapid model: Roadmap for AI Implementation and Deploymenthttps://www.linkedin.com/pulse/adopting-artificial-intelligence-new-product-rapid-model-cooper-wze4eStage-Gate® methodologyhttps://www.stage-gate.com/blog/the-stage-gate-model-an-overview/Siemens software for digital twin technologyhttps://www.siemens.com/global/en/company/stories/industry/the-digital-twin.htmlChatGPT for idea generation and campaign strategieshttps://chatgpt.com/Resources: Bob Cooper’s published books on innovation and new product developmenthttps://www.amazon.com/stores/Robert-G.-Cooper/author/B001IGOJG6?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true This Podcast is brought to you by Sopheon Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Innovation Talks. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts. Apple Podcasts | TuneIn | Stitcher | Spotify | iHeart Be sure to connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, and share your favorite episodes on social media to help us reach more listeners like you. For additional information about new product development or corporate innovation, sign up for Sopheon’s monthly newsletter, where we share news and industry best practices! The fastest way to do this is to go to sopheon.com and click here.
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    37 mins
  • Encore Episode: Innovation and defense with Colonel Eddie Corrigan

    Encore Episode: Innovation and defense with Colonel Eddie Corrigan
    Sep 16 2024

    Colonel Eddie Corrigan is the Assistant Head of the UK Ministry of Defense's Concepts, Strategy, Force Development, Doctrine, and Lessons Defense Logistics division. With over 33 years of tactical, operational, and strategic experience across many logistics and supply chain activities in the defense and global context, he has delivered logistics effects and outputs – including supply, distribution, movements, information services, and infrastructure – around the world. From 2007 to 2010, Eddie served in the Royal Logistics Corps, where he was responsible for supplying and distributing all supplies to a military force of over 10,000 people and commanding a regiment of 600 people.

    Eddie joins me today to discuss the connection between innovation and defense for national security and military defenses. We discuss how he began working in innovation management and the challenges of creating, developing, and distributing new technologies. We discuss the impact of the Russia/Ukraine conflict on innovation. We discuss the relationship between corporate industries and the military, how it has shifted over the years, and how these collaborative efforts have benefited civilians and the military. We discuss cyber-security, the challenges associated with defending against cyber threats, and the solutions currently available to help defend against cyber attacks. We also discuss the benefits of converting AI capabilities into defense assets and how startup corporations can begin collaborating with the military on creating new, innovative defense technologies.

    “Industry does lead the way – but we are following quite closely.” - Colonel Eddie Corrigan

    This week on Innovation Talks:

    ● How Eddie initially got involved in innovation management

    ● The challenges associated with creating innovative technology

    ● The ecosystem of using innovative ideas in national defense

    ● How the Russia/Ukraine conflict is impacting the world of innovation

    ● Collaboration efforts between national military defenses and corporate industries

    ● Eddie’s advice to startup corporations on collaborating with the military on new, innovative technologies

    ● Defending against cyber attacks and cyber-security issues

    ● Converting AI capabilities into beneficial military and defense assets

    ● The innovation and technology challenges Russia is currently facing in its conflict with Ukraine

    Connect with Colonel Eddie Corrigan:

    ● Colonel Eddie Corrigan on LinkedIn

    This Podcast is brought to you by Sopheon

    Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Innovation Talks. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts.

    Apple Podcasts | TuneIn | GooglePlay | Stitcher | Spotify | iHeart

    Be sure to connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, and share your favorite episodes on social media to help us reach more listeners like you.

    For additional information about new product development or corporate innovation, sign up for Sopheon’s monthly newsletter, where we share news and industry best practices! The fastest way to do this is to go to sopheon.com and click here.
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    33 mins
Management Economics
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