Integrating Artificial Intelligence
Of course, artificial intelligence was not far from the conversation. In fact, AI is certainly a common theme from respondents but there are subtle nuances from the innovation community. The future of innovation is being driven by the convergence of AI, biotechnology, and sustainable technologies, moving toward a faster, compounding model where technologies build on each other. Integrating these technologies into workflows, productivity, and processes is one aspect, while wholesale idea generation is another solution that those in the innovation community foresee.
Other key trends include AI-powered, human-centered, and sustainable solutions, focusing on accelerating scientific discovery, robotics, and digital transformation to solve complex problems and drive economic productivity. This might include AI as co-pilot scenarios, the convergence and compounding of technology, environmental stewardship such as sustainability and biology, human-centric and inclusive design, and the development of innovation hubs.
Future Innovation Directions
Democratization was on the minds of many in the innovation field. AI, it seems, can level the playing field, if used effectively and with strategic discipline.
“The democratization of innovation via AI will allow for anyone to muscle up their innovation recipes. Yet it will require explorers, not innovators, who understand how to refine the undefined future and not replicate the past. Machines will do that very well. True applied insight will be the rare resource,” says Mohan Nair, CEO, Emerge USA.
“The technology that will affect all R&D and corporate innovation the most is AI. Despite its fast and broad adoption, we are still only in the early days of learning how AI will reshape how we create, develop, and test innovation. AI isn’t yet a co-creator but I envision that very soon we will use AI not solely as a productivity tool but as an idea generator. AI already pushes prompts for deeper inquiry or assistance, why can’t that also include potential solutions? That seems like the logical next step,” says Michele Sandoval, Commercial Director, John I. Haas Inc.
While AI integration is happening now, from the experimentation phase to robust program development, we might just be scratching the surface of what the future of corporate innovation will look like. But the benefits could be enormous.
As innovation consultant, Gail Martino (formerly with Unilever), puts it: “From my point of view, CPG R&D is starting to work in a totally different way because of AI. Instead of AI just helping a little with research, it’s now being used across the whole process — spotting consumer trends, helping come up with product ideas, shaping formulations, and even supporting claims. So rather than moving slowly through step-by-step gates, companies can test ideas much faster using synthetic consumers, predictive models, and generative AI tools.”
Martino adds, “What that means in practice is that R&D teams are spending less time handing work off from one function to another and more time running fast experiments with data and AI. There are risks in doing this, however. While AI accelerates innovation, it also raises the stakes: mistakes scale faster, and capabilities become harder to rebuild if lost.”
In the meantime, a counterpoint to AI keeps developing: Human insights and human-powered innovation will remain a valued way to differentiate from the competition and to manage AI’s outputs.
“I think the one factor in the next 5-10 years will be what roles remain core human functions in an AI world. Who are the people and what are the roles that remain intact over the next few years?” says Dr. Garret Westlake, Associate Vice Provost for Innovation at Virginia Commonwealth University,
Kara Cunzeman, Principal Director, Enterprise Lab, Office of the Chief Technology Officer, The Aerospace Corp., notes, “I kind of want to be provocative and ignore AI for this one because I suspect by then it will be our new operating system. Perhaps the most important aspect of innovation in the age of AI will actually be getting back to the foundations of human-centered design and innovation. Organizations will hyper focus on the human element of creativity because collective ingenuity and teaming is what provides sustained advantage.”
Others wonder what the effect of AI might have on innovation culture and leadership. What will the future of work look like?
“A couple of thoughts on trends relating to their effect on corporate innovation,” says Mike Hatrick, Vice President IP Strategy & Portfolio, Volvo Group. “One is the focus on hybrid and remote work. This may lead to a drop-off or an inability to build innovation culture from the point of view of (for example) unstructured collaboration, trust when risk taking, and openness to new ideas. On the other hand, an increased feeling of safety and security could result in improved creativity at an individual level. Harnessing that will then be the challenge.”
The governance and ethical use of AI is also on the minds of many in the community. Hatrick adds, “The misuse of AI is already a concern. We already see this leading to spamming of invention proposals that have no basis in the knowledge of the ‘innovator’ such that they have zero chance of moving forward and having any useful outcome.”
It’s All in the Data
Milan Ivosevic, VP of R&D and Innovation, CooperSurgical, sees that compound model making an impact over the next decade of innovation. Technology will emerge, layer upon layer, and will feed into this innovation ecosystem.
Ivosevic notes, “If I had to distill it down to one overarching trend, it’s this: While fundamental human needs remain constant—health, longevity, productivity, quality of life—the way we address them is undergoing a structural shift driven by AI, data, and connected technologies. Over the next 5 to 10 years, corporate innovation and R&D will likely move away from discrete product development toward continuous learning, data-driven solution ecosystems. The combination of ubiquitous data, advanced analytics, and AI is not just accelerating innovation cycles—it is fundamentally changing how problems are defined, prioritized, and solved.”
For Ivosevic, a few implications stand out:
- From products to personalized solutions: We will see a rapid expansion of personalization at every level—not only in healthcare (e.g., tailored therapies, diagnostics, and lifestyle interventions), but across industries. Solutions will increasingly adapt to the individual in real time, rather than being designed for the average user.
- Data as a core R&D asset: Data will become as critical as the physical product itself. Organizations that can effectively capture, integrate, and learn from real-world data will outpace those that rely solely on traditional development pipelines.
- Continuous innovation vs. episodic launches: R&D will shift from stage-gated programs to continuously evolving platforms, where products, software, and services are iterated and improved in-market based on live feedback and performance data.
- Convergence of disciplines: Boundaries between hardware, software, biology, and analytics will continue to blur, requiring more integrated, cross-disciplinary innovation models.
“In short, I believe that the future of R&D is not just faster—it is more adaptive, more personalized, and increasingly built around integrated systems rather than standalone products,” says Ivosevic.
Additional Resources
Investing In Innovation for Tomorrow’s Top Industries
Innovation professionals, particularly those in research and development executive roles, thrive in industries that prioritize creativity, technological advancement, and problem-solving. But just what are some of the top fields to develop these innovation initiatives? Inspired by the annual Consumer Electronics Show, All Things Innovation asked the question, what are the top ten best fields of business for innovation professionals? With the assistance of AI, we developed a list (click link above).
Staying Curious
Whether you’re in a field like climate technology or biotech or pharma, the pace of innovation is accelerating. AI is only stepping up the game to another level, and as such businesses need to move towards authentic, collaborative, and ongoing, continuous innovation. This requires focusing on adaptability and navigating the uncertain future through curiosity—a very human trait that is sure to remain a key skill to develop in the coming years.
Video: “Future of Innovation: What the Next 5 Years Will Bring,” courtesy of 1819 Innovation Hub.
