Innovation Labs in Corporations

We may be standing at a moment in time for Quantum Computing that mirrors the 2017 breakthrough on transformers – a spark that ignited the generative AI revolution 5 years later. With recent advancements from Google, Microsoft, IBM and Amazon in developing more powerful and stable quantum chips, the trajectory of QC is accelerating faster than many of us expected.   Google’s Sycamore and next gen Willow chips are demonstrating increasing fidelity. Microsoft’s pursuit of topological qubits using Majorana particles promises longer coherence times and IBM’s roadmap is pushing towards modular error corrected systems. These aren’t just incremental steps, they are setting the stage for scalable, fault tolerant quantum machines.   Quantum systems excel at simulating the behavior of molecules and materials at atomic scale, solving optimization problems with exponentially large solution spaces and modeling complex probabilistic systems – tasks that could take classical supercomputers millennia. For example, accurately simulating protein folding or discovering new catalysts for carbon capture are well within quantum’s potential reach.   If scalable QC is just five years away, now is the time to ask : What would you do differently today, if quantum was real tomorrow ?. That question isn’t hypothetical – it’s an invitation to start rethinking foundational problems in chemistry, logistics, finance, AI and cryptography.   Of course building quantum systems is notoriously hard. Fragile qubits, error correction and decoherence remain formidable challenges. But globally public and private institutions are pouring resources into cracking these problems. I was in LA today visiting the famous USC Information Sciences Institute where cutting edge work on QC is underway and the energy is palpable.   This feels like a pivotal moment. One where future shaping ideas are being tested in real labs. Just as with AI, the future belongs to those preparing for it now. QC Is an area of emphasis at Visa Research and I hope it is part of how other organizations are thinking about the future too.

Most enterprises treat quantum computing as a nerdy R&D curiosity. A mistake. Critical business problems, which are fundamentally constrained by classical computing today, are likely to be solved by 2030. With a hybrid combination of high performance computing and quantum approaches. Three sectors stand out: Pharma, Life & Material Sciences: Drug discovery is essentially a molecular simulation challenge. Classical systems approximate. Quantum systems are designed around quantum mechanics itself. Thus, it is not just about faster research, but the ability to model molecular interactions with higher fidelity. For protein folding, compound optimization, personalized therapeutics. Reaching quantum advantage first in pharma won’t merely accelerate pipelines — it will redefine them. Financial Services: Banks, insurers, stock exchanges operate enormous optimization, transaction or probability engines. E.g., for risk simulations, or fraud detections. Many of these problems scale exponentially in complexity. Quantum algorithms are particularly promising where classical Monte Carlo simulations hit practical limits. And, quantum computing is becoming a cybersecurity challenge. Post-quantum cryptography migration will likely be one of the largest infrastructure transitions the financial sector has seen for decades. Complex Logistics & Supply Chains: Airlines, shipping companies, manufacturers, energy grids, and global retailers all face combinatorial optimization problems. These systems already operate at scales where small efficiency gains create major business impact. Enterprises operating in these segments should get „quantum-ready“ now: • Identify quantum-relevant business problems • Work with quantum partners who advocate an open approach • Build internal quantum literacy • Develop hybrid workflows • Prepare your security stack for the post-quantum era. Additionally we need quantum computing companies delivering at production scale. IQM Quantum Computers calls this Production Quantum. Which is the delivery of a production-ready full stack solution rather than just a scientific solution for a specific problem. This is the same pattern we saw with #AI. The competitive gap formed before the technology fully matured. #Quantum readiness is becoming a strategic capability and critical timing question. For an increasing number of enterprises. Not only for R&D departments.

The last two days have seen two extremely interesting breakthroughs announced in quantum computing. There is a long path ahead, but these both point to the potential for dramatically upscaling ambitions for what's possible in relatively short timeframes. The most prominent advance was Microsoft's announcement of Majorana 1, a chip powered by "topological qubits" using a new material. This enables hardware-protected qubits that are more stable and fault-tolerant. The chip currently contains 8 topologic qubits, but it is designed to house one million. This is many orders of dimension larger than current systems. DARPA has selected the system for its utility-scale quantum computing program. Microsoft believes they can create a fault-tolerant quantum computer prototype in years. The other breakthrough is extraordinary: quantum gate teleportation, linking two quantum processes using quantum teleportation. Instead of packing millions of qubits into a single machine—which is exceptionally challenging—this approach allows smaller quantum devices to be connected via optical fibers, working together as one system. Oxford University researchers proved that distributed quantum computing can perform powerful calculations more efficiently than classical systems. This could not only create a pathway to workable quantum computers, but also a quantum internet, enabling ultra-secure communication and advanced computational capabilities. It certainly seems that the pace of scientific progress is increasing. Some of the applications - such as in quantum computing - could have massive implications, including in turn accelerating science across domains.

A lot of organisations create chaos and call it innovation but miss one essential point ... - They run hackathons without strategy. - They start with ideas before understanding problems. - They proudly generate hundreds of sticky notes - They call it agile, but it’s aimless. - They say “fail fast,” but never learn. - They launch “labs” with no link to core business. They have no clear process, no guidance, and no overview—just a lot of enthusiastic noise. And when leadership asks, “What’s the ROI?”: silence. Innovation isn’t about looking busy or creative. It’s about making real, valuable change—on purpose. Innovation is all about creating strategic impact. For that you need: STRUCTURE! Structure to transfor new technologies and ideas into reality. Without structure you’re not innovating. You’re just making innovation theatre. Ps. When you want to structure the fuzzy front end of innovation, you might check out the proven FORTH Innovation Method. Link and map in the comments. #Innovation #CorporateInnovation #Strategy #DesignThinking #InnovationTheater #BusinessTransformation #InnovationFails #InnovationLeadership #InnovationStrategy #InnovationManagement #BreakingInnovationBarriers

"We stopped talking about return to office and started talking about reattaching." — Ryan Anderson, MillerKnoll Stress and burnout continue to grow and building engagement at work has taken a distant back seat to the continued drive for efficiency. Recent Upwork research reveals a troubling trend around AI: heavy users are becoming emotionally disconnected from their teams -- they actually trust AI more than their colleagues. What if, instead, we took some of that time back and invested in relationships? As Ryan put it "looking at AI as a way of reinvesting time savings in more relational human activities." The solution isn't just getting bodies in seats. It's designing spaces that strengthen human relationships. His team at MillerKnoll has identified what works in "relationship-based design": 🏢 Cafes with intention: Different table heights and seating arrangements that give people "permission to go meet someone new"—from quick corridor intercepts to intimate booth conversations. 📺 Meeting spaces for equity: Moving away from "Death Star-like" conference rooms to inclusive spaces where everyone has clear sight lines, whether remote or in-person. 🚪 Private offices reimagined: Designs that invite people in rather than create power distance—even executive offices can build relationships if you're intentional. Anderson's insight: successful workplace design is "50% space, 50% engagement." If people understand that a space is designed to help them connect and learn from each other, they'll actually use it that way. 👉 Read on for more in-depth #workplace design research: https://lnkd.in/d6fDvugg How are you designing your workplace to strengthen relationships, not just support tasks?

Digital empowerment goes beyond just access to technology. It’s about creating equity in critical sectors like education, healthcare, finance, and employment, especially for marginalized communities, rural populations, and persons with disabilities (PwDs). To address these needs, tailored digital solutions are crucial, and public-private partnerships (PPP) will play a key role in shaping this transformation. 1️⃣ 𝐓𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐃𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐋𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐲 & 𝐒𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 Programs focused on digital literacy are the bedrock of empowering rural populations. The PMGDISHA (Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan), initiated by the Indian government, aims to enhance digital literacy in rural areas. As of 2024, over 5 crore people have been trained, highlighting the immense demand for digital literacy and skilling. Similiary, the Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF) has been at the forefront, with initiatives like eMitra centers in Rajasthan, where digitizing government services has not only simplified access but also saved community members time and travel costs. In Ziro Valley, Arunachal Pradesh, DEF’s program to train rural women in e-commerce skills has increased financial independence and profitability, enabling them to access broader markets. 2️⃣ 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲-𝐃𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐃𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬: 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐋𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐍𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐬 A critical component of digital empowerment is ensuring that technology serves local needs and is not merely consumer-driven. India’s vast rural terrain demands tailored solutions. Low-bandwidth apps and voice-enabled technology are making access to services more inclusive, especially in remote areas. Private companies like Jio have partnered with the government to extend internet connectivity, but more work is needed to bridge this connectivity gap. 3️⃣ 𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧-𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐑𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 & 𝐄𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 Digital empowerment is also about giving marginalized communities the autonomy to make informed decisions. Persons with disabilities (PwDs) in cities like Jaipur are using voice-enabled apps to access telehealth services and government welfare schemes, thereby gaining greater control over their healthcare and livelihood. Microsoft’s AI for Accessibility initiative has also been instrumental in creating digital tools that cater to PwDs, enabling them to interact more seamlessly with technology. Empowering these communities to have decision-making rights and consent in digital platforms ensures that technology is not just an instrument of access but also an enabler of autonomy and inclusion. 4️⃣ 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐬 & 𝐆𝐚𝐩𝐬 Despite the progress, there are significant challenges such as lack of Modern infrastructure, affordable devices, and quality internet access in rural areas persist. The Indian government’s Digital India initiative aims to address these gaps by establishing more research labs and digital villages.

One of the clearest signals of whether a transformation is working isn’t in the plan - it’s in the conversations happening in your teams. So pay close attention to the frequency of healthy debate, constructive challenge and openness to new and divergent ideas that takes place. If the frequency is low… …there is the risk of creating the illusion of performance because people readily ‘understand’ each other, agree on everything, collaboration seems to flow smoothly and there is a collective sensation of progress. However, the opportunity cost is teams gets trapped in their own paradigms, opportunities get overlooked, risks ignored - and ultimately their output becomes derivative not innovative, performance diminishes as opposed to improving and compounding. If the frequency is high… …there is a level of psychological safety that allows for team members to be more objective, to speak up with relevant ideas, to constructively challenge each other, and bring their diverse perspectives and experiences to the table - in the knowledge it won’t be held against them. This opens up the opportunity of reframing the paradigm, and connecting different perspectives and ideas. Ingredients for creativity, innovation, resilience and performance. You see homogeneous teams might feel easier, but easy doesn’t translate into Performance. Here are a few ideas to experiment with your teams… 1. Intentionally foster a team environment that replaces scepticism with intellectual curiosity, an open and learning mindset.   2. Consider how you can create a ways of working that allows all ideas and perspectives from everyone in the room to be heard. 3. Encourage dissenting perspectives. Surrounding yourself with people who are willing to disagree with you and challenge your perspectives and each other. 4. Consider whether you may need to invite others to that creative or idea generation meeting to ensure you get a broader perspective. 5. De-stigmatise failure through sharing past mistakes and celebrating lessons learnt. 6. Institutionalise a team culture of healthy candour. Candour is one of the key attributes to improving the quality of output, levelling up creativity and enabling effective collaboration. What would you add? #transformation #culture #psychologicalsafety

In our workshops, we keep seeing the same thing: when students recieve good AI literacy training means more critical use of the tools. GenAI is designed to feel effortless. You ask a question and get a fluent, confident answer in seconds. That ease is the trap. Good GenAI use takes real oversight, and most students are operating in the dark. A new study out of France (Clerc et al., 2026) shows what changes when you teach that oversight. The researchers gave 116 middle schoolers a set of science tasks to work through with a GenAI tool. Beforehand, 76 students attended a two-hour AI literacy workshop; the other 40 did not. The workshop wasn't just some prompting pointers. It covered how LLMs work and why they fail (hallucinations, bias, sycophancy) along with a few transferable practices like adding more context to prompts and asking follow-up questions. The results showed that trained students: 🔹 Were more likely to reject weak, underspecified prompts. 🔹 Asked follow-up questions to get better responses more often (59% vs. 28%). 🔹 More accurately judged whether GenAI responses were correct. One other takeaway the evidence keeps surfacing: how confident students felt about AI didn't predict how well they used it. While this is a small study with modest gains, it is an initial proof point that short GenAI literacy training can teach students better, more critical use of the tools. You can check out the study in the comments. AI for Education #AIliteracy #K12

🛑 Mr. Couchonomics Hype Check: Innovation Labs Are the Future of Corporate Disruption Every big company seems to have an “innovation lab,” “garage,” or “studio.” Foosball, beanbags, neon signage and endless slide decks promising the next unicorn 🦄 The theory suggests that one should isolate a small team, give them seed funding, and watch them out innovate the mothership. 📉 Reality check: 85% of innovation-lab projects never reach commercial launch (2022). Unfortunately most of the ideas die in PowerPoint purgatory The causes are depressingly predictable: ❗️Labs are measured on posters and P-O-Cs, not profit and pipeline ❗️Core business units block adoption (“Not-Invented-Here” syndrome) ❗️Incentives favor experimentation over scale-up funding ❗️Leadership churn means pet projects lose sponsorship mid-flight Unfortunately that’s lead to Innovation labs becoming great theatres of creativity, but terrible factories 🏭 of revenue. Real disruption happens when: ✅ KPIs are tied to P&L impact, not demo-day applause ✅ Lab teams embed with (and are funded by) core business lines ✅ CEOs are willing to sunset legacy cash cows to let new bets breathe Until then, the lab is often just a shiny box parked next to yesterday’s strategy. 💬 Have you seen an innovation lab that truly moved the needle? What made it different?

The classic office use case is slowly dying. The traditional notion of the office as merely a place for routine tasks and clocking in hours is even 'deader'. In its place, a new role is emerging—an experience that redefines the workplace as a dynamic, engaging environment where every visit is purposeful and enriching. Hybrid work models are becoming the norm, blending remote and in-person collaboration. This shift demands a reimagining of workplace experiences to make every office visit meaningful and worth the commute. Employees now seek more than just a desk; they desire spaces that inspire, engage, and foster a sense of community. In response, many companies are attempting to right-size their offices—optimizing space to reflect new work patterns and reducing underutilized areas. This strategic downsizing allows organizations to reinvest in better workplace experiences, creating environments that attract employees back to the office by offering unique benefits not found at home. Corporate real estate is being disrupted by this evolution, moving beyond simply providing physical spaces to crafting vibrant, people-focused environments. The office is transforming into a hub of collaboration, innovation, and culture-building—offering experiences that fully remote work cannot replicate. This flight to experience is about creating workplaces that employees are excited to be a part of...sometimes. To make hybrid work truly work, companies must integrate flexible spaces, unparalleled services, and sustainable practices. Hospitality-led solutions—such as gourmet food options featuring locally sourced ingredients, artisanal coffee experiences, and orgnizational/community engagement events — elevate the workplace. Seamless meeting management ensures that every gathering is impactful, with state-of-the-art audio-visual support, tailored catering, and efficient logistics. By recognizing that the traditional office model is fading and embracing the flight to experience, organizations can enhance employee satisfaction, attract top talent, and drive success in an ever-evolving work landscape. Right-sizing offices and reinvesting in superior workplace experiences are key strategies in this transformation. The future office is not just a place to work; it's a place to connect, collaborate, and create—making hybrid work truly effective and every office visit valuable. #FutureOfWork