2021 ended with a double-edged feeling. The pandemic still affected our personal lives heavily and impacted all sectors. On the other hand, the rate of innovation ramped up exponentially once more. At the same time, this complex world made focusing on the sweet spot more important than ever to make innovation a success. What were the topics that you, our digital community, found the most interesting to gain insights about?
1. AI & blockchain
The most read topic last year, was AI and blockchain. It showed to be tremendously interesting, especially because it’s starting to move from research and standalone projects to real applications.
To give some examples, deploying AI and machine learning in the space and medical industry can make enormous changes to efficiency for humankind. It helps avoiding sensing if transducers don’t exist or are too costly. It helps to define and predict what is remained unknown for classical data interpretation and algorithms, and opens up new improved ways for space exploration and surgery.
Explore our most popular perspectives on AI and blockchain:
- The added value of blockchain in ports & logistics
- How will AI change the space industry
- AI assisted robotic spine surgery
2. Circular innovation
On a second place our digital community liked content on sustainability and circular innovation. Not only our personal focus and interest in preserving nature increased, but many industries started making the shift, as well. The cornerstone of their innovation objectives changed by making products in circular loops, instead of linear, or by offering products as a service.
Organizations assessed that a further professionalization of their innovation organization is required to remain competitive and therefore involving KPIs. Improved innovation capacity was clearly a topic of interest to keep improving the success rate and make innovation more predictable, these topics likely will remain challenging in 2022.
Explore our most popular perspectives on circular innovation:
- 6 leverages for the circular paradox
- Strategies on circularity – Packaging sustainability & beyond
- Managing innovation as a predictable driver for growth
3. Direct-to-consumer business models
Thirdly we saw the first signals that the direct-to-consumer business model is on the verge of a clear breakthrough for incumbent FMCG companies. The D2C model requires some particular innovation design practices to ensure successes and to avoid the cannibalization of products sold through other channels. Read more about this topics in this perspective on developing connected devices.
Having turned the page on 2021, we’re curious to see what 2022 will bring and how innovation trends will shift. Our guess? Twofold robotic innovation will shift from robotic product development into real applications and consciousness of professionally organizing adjacent innovation will rise in core and disruptive innovation.
So keep reading and watching our content as we’ll continue sharing our insights throughout 2022.