Business Innovation Labs
Companies face historic challenges and opportunities
We urgently need solutions for the multitude of interconnected crises and for the opportunities that rapidly evolving market conditions offer us. This includes rethinking our fundamental business models, across corporate functions and along supply and value chains.
Future Economy Forum supports its partners NOW Partners and ISPO of Messe Munich to host INNO LABS for senior business leaders from diverse industries to discover together how Regenerative Value Creation turns positive impact on people and the planet into superior business success.
Discovering Concrete Solutions
The INNO LABS are designed to identify concrete solutions for your company’s key challenges and opportunities. Their highly interactive and implementation-oriented year-long innovation process integrates world class experts with peer-to-peer discovery.
The INNO LABS will be hosted by NOW Partners and ISPO of Messe Munich that hosts twenty of the world’s leading fairs for industries such as Sports and Outdoor (ISPO), Mobility (IAA) and Environmental Technologies (IFAD). Each of which is visited by tenths of thousands of business leaders whom we also support with Master Classes at those fairs.
The INNO LABS will be offered publicly starting May 1st. They will commence in the later part of 2023 and in 2024. If you are interested in any of the following INNO LABS, please contact Merijn Dols, managing part of NOW Partners at merijn at now dot partners.
INNO LAB Topics:
- SUPPLY CHAIN
- CONSUMERS
- CLIMATE SOLUTIONS
- CIRCULARITY
- BENEFIT CORPORATIONS and B CORPS
- ESG FINANCE
- TALENT
- AI, ROBOTICS and DIGITALIZATION
- LOBBY FOR GOOD
SUPPLY CHAIN:
Covid and the war in Ukraine revealed that efficiency needs to be balanced with resilience. The climate and other natural and human crises point to the need for and the opportunity to make supply chains sustainable, integrating business success with the regeneration of people and the planet. In this INNO LAB business leaders across industries will, for example, explore whether and how to balance far- and near-shoring.
CONSUMERS:
Research on all continents reveals that more and more consumers want to buy sustainable products. Yet much fewer turn these good intentions into concrete purchases that support companies offering more sustainable products and services. Rather than complaining about these inconsistencies, this INNO LAB helps leaders across industries to discover solutions that close this gap between intention and action to unlock Regenerative Value Creation.
CLIMATE SOLUTIONS:
The US federal government published a directive which will exclude companies that don’t have a climate neutral policy from public procurement contracts. This is just one of many signals that point to a global trend of increased scrutiny by all stakeholders. Policymakers, clients, talent and the financial industry are shifting to partner with companies that implement climate solutions. In this INNO LAB we will explore how to reduce your carbon footprint in ways that unlock regenerative Value Creation.
CIRCULARITY:
Our linear economy that relies on a take, make and waste business model is no longer fit for purpose. The Circular Economy offers an alternative to strengthen and future proof your company. In this INNO LAB companies will discover the potential of the Circular Economy for their business and industry. Through business model innovation companies will build solutions that integrate financial benefits with positive impact. This will include specific circular technology solutions as well as the wider circular systems solutions within and across sectors.
BENEFIT CORPORATIONS and B CORPS:
Around the world thousands of companies have amended their governing charter to become Benefit Corporations. They legally commit to serve all stakeholders. There are also 6000 certified B Corps. They include Patagonia, Danone, Natura, The Body Shop, twelve Unilever brands and whole host of SMEs. The B Corp Certification allows companies to measure and independently audit their governance and their impact on teams, value chains, society and the planet. This INNO LAB supports companies to discover whether to become Benefit Corporations and certified B CORPS and how to make it part of their core business success strategy.
ESG FINANCE:
Regulators and markets are pushing companies towards Regenerative Value Creation that integrates business success with the regeneration of people and the planet. New EU government and US stock exchange regulations combined with quickly accelerating trends in banking, insurance, M&A and ESG investments (a 40 trillion dollar market according to the Financial Times) make it increasingly harder for companies with low sustainability performance to obtain competitively priced financing. This INNO LAB focuses on how to turn these changes in financial markets and international regulations into business opportunities.
TALENT:
One of the most important keys to success is attracting and retaining talent. Research by BCG states that especially highly qualified leaders in younger generations have a 300% preference to work for more sustainable companies. Two million people apply every year to work at Unilever after it became recognized as a sustainability leader. SAP’s CFO shared that when its culture index goes up by 1%, its profitability increases by 60 million Euros. This is Regenerative Value Creation.
AI, ROBOTICS and DIGITALIZATION:
Companies around the world are facing a digital revolution that is just as disruptive and full of opportunities as the industrial revolution and rise of the internet. This impacts all aspects of business, some so significantly that inaction is simply not an option. This INNO LAB will help leaders across diverse industries to discover how AI, Robotics and Digitalization can be used to support Regenerative Value Creation that integrates business success with the regeneration of people and the planet.
LOBBY FOR GOOD:
At the UN’s Climate Summit COP 27, the oil industry was represented by over 600 lobbyists. At the same time companies and industries that support the regeneration of people and society, nature and the climate, are hardly represented within national and international policy making processes. If you agree that regulations, taxation, custom duties, trade treaties and government purchasing (which in France represents 50% of the economy) should support Regenerative Value Creation, join this INNO LAB to discover how to collaborate within and across industries to become effective ‘Lobbyists for Good’.