The ability to invest in innovation and new methodologies and technologies as a driver of business change and business development can be the key to maintaining a company’s competitiveness. Companies face the great challenge of developing their growth and optimizing their businesses through new trends in innovation and disruptive methodologies, and also how to take advantage of the full potential of technologies such as AI that will transform the business ecosystem.
These were some of the predominant themes at the 3rd APD Innovation Congress, which was held in Barcelona on September 26 and 27.
Innovation trends that will help overcome today’s major challenges, debated by more than 1,000 top executives – by APD
With more than 1,000 executives, who participated in person or remotely through APD Suite, and the intervention of nearly 60 high-level executives and experts, the event discussed key aspects for companies, from the point of view of innovation trends, such as brand growth, organizational culture or how to achieve a balance between business vision and the desired social impact.
Trends in innovation and regulation to drive disruptive growth
Albert Dalmau: Minister of the Presidency of the Generalitat de Catalunya, highlighted during the official opening of the Congress the importance of advancing and improving public-private collaboration as a driver of development.
In his opinion, “climate change and population ageing” are the two major areas in which innovation in public services must be promoted, and he highlighted other challenges facing the administration, such as “simplifying regulations and processes, placing citizens at the centre of the design of public policies, or defining a model of professional public management”.
Ivan Ruiz, CEO of FI Group, also referred to regulations, highlighting the importance of “regulating correctly and quickly to drive disruptive growth in organisations” ensuring that the country maintains its competitiveness at a global level, while underlining the social impact of innovation as “a fundamental tool in improving key areas for well-being, such as health or sustainability”.
Rosario Gonzalez, Business Excellence & Transformation Head of ASTRAZENECA, expressed the same opinion, insisting that “in addition to bureaucracy, another important challenge we face is access to R&D funding”. She recalled that despite the efforts made by governments, “there is a significant gap in Spain versus other European countries, and in this sense, public-private collaborations play a critical role”.
The great challenge of AI: the frontiers of new disruptive models
The great potential of Artificial Intelligence is undeniable. Hence, companies face the major challenge of transforming companies to take full advantage of the potential of this technology. Because identifying and adopting the technologies that can most drive innovation can be key to the future.
As Juan Nunez, CIO & Organization Director of INIBSA, pointed out, “Technology has become a total enabler of innovation because it accelerates decision-making,” but he also recalled that “innovation does not necessarily have to be a result of technological innovation.”
Regarding AI, Fernando Fuentes, Business Development & Product Director of ARSYS, said that “if you talk about innovation today, the term AI inevitably has to come up,” but he also warned that “perceptions sometimes outstrip reality, so we must be careful with hypes.
Continuing with the importance of AI, Pau Guarro, CEO of Between Technology, stated that “AI is linked to innovation and is changing many things. It is here to stay and we must adapt to its use.” And, in that sense, Doris Gómez, Director of Adoption and Cloud Innovation at Microsoft Spain, provided some data linked to the explosion of Generative AI: “In its second year of adoption, Generative AI has already doubled its use, and has reached two-thirds of organizations, which are already currently using this technology.”
She concluded that “if before we said that AI was transforming each of the business areas, with generative AI it is much more since in a short time organizations have achieved cost savings of between 10 and 20%.”
When technology and innovation go hand in hand, but without forgetting people.
The new technological environment is dominated by AI, but at the same time, companies are experiencing a context of great uncertainty, which forces them to adapt to changes in an agile manner. Hence the importance of leaving room for innovation, without ever leaving people behind.
This was highlighted by Xavier Molina, Head of Business Development in Spain at Tickelia, who recalled that “innovation is not just about technology, it starts with people. We must put them at the centre, that is what will help us to innovate and grow.”
Laura Vidal, Innovation & Ideas at SEAT, expressed the same opinion, stating that “when we do not innovate, we are not leaving room for people to contribute ideas and have a space for creativity.” She concluded that “technology is the basis for remaining competitive, and the option of stopping innovation and not taking risks practically leads to planned obsolescence.”
In relation to the risk of innovating, Jordi Bonet, CIO of Aspy Prevencion, also spoke out, recalling that “today, not investing in innovation can be something that ends up penalizing us more than it benefits us.”
The new map of innovation, with Europe behind China or the US
One of the main objectives that Europe has set itself is to improve the competitiveness of the innovation ecosystem, in relation to countries such as China, Israel or the United States. But, today, it is still not a leading area when it comes to attracting talent or financing major technological advances.
As Franc Ponti, Professor of Neurocreativity and Innovation at EADA Business School, indicated, “The Draghi report calls into question Europe’s role in terms of Innovation, especially if we compare it with China, the United States or Israel,” and he continued by stating that “Europe is more of a leader in regulatory systems linked to sustainability and ethics, but in those other regions there is perhaps more flexibility in many aspects, more research, more collaboration between companies and educational and research centres.”
Alfons Cornella, Founder of Curiosity Atelier, also wanted to highlight China’s great power as an innovation centre. He pointed out that “it is essential to talk about China when we talk about innovation. There is no innovation without understanding business models in China.”
In this regard, Ane Insausti, Deputy for Economic Promotion and Strategic Projects of the Provincial Council of Guipuzkoa, supported R&D as the basis of a solid economy: “If we want to build a strong economy in the future we have to continue investing in R&D, and this investment must come with a very strong scientific and technological base.” A solid economy, in short, gives people space to be able to innovate.
In relation to this issue, Alfons Cornella is clear: “If we are not able to change how people who contribute with innovation are rewarded, the result will be that innovation will slow down.”
