By leveraging innovation labs, corporate businesses can remain competitive and up-to-date with emerging technologies in a rapidly changing tech landscape.

Innovation labs provide partners access to a team motivated to bring about effective change that views innovation as a discipline and manages the process from problem analysis to market introduction. A creative atmosphere enables others to think outside the box. With that in mind, an innovation lab provides the perfect platform to produce change – while offering an organized framework in which innovative ideas are tested critically throughout their lifecycle until they reach market success.

How do innovation labs support corporate businesses? Collaboration with innovation labs helps companies stay at the forefront of emerging technologies, explore new ideas and products, and test them without disrupting existing operations. Innovation labs allow companies to develop solutions that help them gain a competitive advantage in their respective markets.

Specialized teams and innovation labs are revolutionizing the innovation game, enabling companies to discover (and capitalize on) cutting-edge technology in record time. Access to expert point people for every stage of the innovation process from idea to realization means reduced friction in the discovery and development process from ideation to realization.

Reducing Friction in the Innovation Process

There are four primary “headwinds” or frictions that stand in the way of innovation.

1. Inertia – the overwhelming desire to remain with the status quo – leave things as they are – even when they are not working.
2. Effort – involves the amount of mental, physical, financial, or cognitive work required to implement innovation or change.
3. Emotion – the fear, anxiety, or reluctance to adopt new ideas and evolution.
4. Reactance – the reluctance to be changed by others’ ideas or another’s effort.

These frictions can stand in the way of the innovation effort – and they are all solved by access to the specialized teams of an innovation lab. These experts understand the need for a clear-cut innovative process that reduces friction and guides an innovation project to success. An example of such a process is the following:

1. Empathize – understand the user’s motivations, challenges, and experiences.
2. Define – create a point of view and frame the problem.
3. Ideate – brainstorm innovative ideas around the problem space.
4. Prototype – build solutions to support learning.
5. Test – gather and implement feedback.

Go Studio is an innovation studio and practice designed to discover, define, and solve problems that enhance their client’s businesses through breakthrough technologies.

Research and Development and the Innovation Process

Innovation labs are the go-to solution to tackle some of the world’s most complex challenges. These inventive spaces provide organizations with an environment to come together, collaboratively explore ideas and solutions, and create prototypes that are implemented in ways that benefit businesses and people. They’re a must-have resource to help design and develop innovative projects and use emerging technologies to meet businesses’ most pressing needs. Investing in research and development (R&D) is vital for unlocking revolutionary and sustainable innovations.

The Blank Sheppard Innovation Center

St. Mary’s University is set to enter into the innovation game in a big way, breaking ground for the Blank Sheppard Innovation Center in October of 2022. This state-of-the-art facility will be more than just a research center. It is set to become a hub for outreach and collaboration in the engineering and computing fields and offers exciting new opportunities to connect with industry and community partners.

Construction will include seven labs with spaces dedicated to:

• Robotics and smart manufacturing
• Measurement and instrumentation
• Human factors engineering
• Additive manufacturing and reverse engineering
• Data science and machine learning
• Innovation, entrepreneurship, and supply chain
• An Engineering design studio

This step toward new research and development facilities is going to revolutionize the research field for the School of Science, Engineering, and Technology by providing students with access to world-class innovation labs. It’s an exciting new step for the university and its students, looking at possibilities that haven’t been explored before.

Delta Air Lines

Delta has recently announced its launch of the Sustainable Skies Lab, a first-of-its-kind innovation lab working to usher in a more sustainable future of air travel. The lab will draw upon existing knowledge and technologies to lead disruptive innovation across the industry and reach the goal of net zero emissions for Delta flights by 2050.

The development of an innovation lab dedicated to sustainability is a great step forward toward the development of cutting-edge technology for Delta Air Lines. Having a dedicated department focused strictly on innovation may help promote the reduction of friction and the growth of the company.

Key Takeaways:

• Innovation labs provide partners access to a team motivated to bring about productive change that views innovation as a discipline and manages the process from problem analysis to market introduction.
• Collaboration with innovation labs helps companies stay at the forefront of emerging technologies, explore new ideas and products, and test them without disrupting existing operations.
• Specialized teams and innovation labs are revolutionizing the innovation game, enabling companies to discover (and capitalize on) cutting-edge technology in record time.
• Specialized innovation lab teams understand the need for a clear-cut innovative process that reduces friction and guides an innovation project to success.
• Go Studio is an innovation studio and practice designed to discover, define, and solve problems that enhance the business of their clients through the use of breakthrough technologies.
• Innovation labs are a must-have resource to help design and develop innovative projects and use emerging technologies to ensure businesses’ most pressing needs are met.

Driving Innovations

If innovation is what you’re after, then Go Studio is the place for you. Technology evolves faster than the speed of light, and keeping up with it can seem like an impossible task. Our innovation labs are bubbling with creativity, and our specialized teams are passionate about finding new solutions and embracing the future. If you want your organization to stay ahead of the game, partner with our innovation lab! Ready to get started today? Request an introduction.