Internet of Everything Innovation Centers Facilitate Change

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_WgPlXLm60

Innovation – exponential innovation – is needed to capitalize on the $19 trillion in value at stake that the Internet of Everything (IoE) is poised to generate worldwide over the next decade. We’ve entered a time of co-innovation and experimentation via rapid prototyping and an ecosystem of partners to develop new business models and new sources of revenue.

To facilitate this process, we’ve established Internet of Everything (IoE) Innovation Centers globally with capabilities to bring together established businesses, incubators, startups, developers and partners. These Centers are where fresh new ideas can quickly come together to solve business challenges and enhance the way people live, work, play and learn.

IoE Innovation Centers are “living labs” in some of the world’s most progressive cities, including Berlin, London, and Tokyo. Over the next year, we will open additional Centers across the globe. Clearly, progress and innovation have no geographical boundaries.

Embodying a “think local, innovate global” progressive philosophy, each lab has distinct vertical area of focus. Work in each center is intrinsically organic and fueled by local expertise and investment. The IoE solution prototypes they develop are able to spark results that benefit the local community and that often can be customized to address global needs.

The IoE Innovation Center in Berlin, for example, is focused on enabling innovation that can reduce operating costs in in manufacturing, transportation and logistics. At our Center in London, projects are underway in lighting, building management, transportation and the public sector.  Partners are studying the relationship between light color and heat perception, allowing connected lighting to elicit different moods while controlling energy costs.

While each center reflects the diversity of its local community, they also share common elements that promote environments where the best and brightest can give life to their ideas. Demonstration facilities, relationships with local universities, support of local early-stage companies and developer programs are just a few examples.

No one can do it alone. Success requires new partnerships, co-invention, rapid prototyping, and a willingness to learn quickly, discard the things that don’t work, and move on. I’m excited to see how our Centers facilitate change – creating new opportunities in the public sector, manufacturing, financial services, energy and transportation.

Where do you think we should apply IoE innovation next?