Shaping the future of Industry 4.0.

5 validated, future proof business models after a two-day co-innovation lab on steroids, with Cisco, Woodside, Ricoh and Rockwell Automation. We answered one question: How might we co-innovate on tomorrow’s challenges in manufacturing with four multinational companies?

Client.

 Cisco, is an American-based multinational technology conglomerate corporation.

Project.

48-hour co-innovation lab on steroids, rooted in prototyping and end-user feedback.

The challenge: How might we co-innovate on tomorrow’s challenges in manufacturing with four multinational companies?


Industrial markets have changed radically in the last century. With automation, industrial IOT, 5G, drones, and the like, the future of manufacturing will likely look (and act) quite a bit differently than it does today. Likewise, we see significant shifts in the ways people view work in the future…especially in the context of factories. And, when it comes to the next generation of workers, these needs and attitudes will only continue to change. To stay ahead of all these changes – Cisco combined its forces and resources with Ricoh, Woodside, and Rockwell Automation during CHILL (Cisco Hyper Innovation Living Labs) – an intense and impactful co-innovation lab, designed, produced and facilitated by BMI.

The solution: 48-hour co-innovation lab on steroids, rooted in prototyping and end-user feedback.


In the middle of  Silicon Valley, we designed the perfect arena for co-innovation, uniting designers, builders, and potential end-users. In this arena, we guided executives from Cisco, Ricoh, Woodside and Rockwell International on an entrepreneurial journey, creating promising startups in only 48 hours.

This co-innovation lab was designed around five teams. Each team focussed on a pre-defined opportunity area – (1) Informed Decision Making, (2) Autonomous Automation, (3) Enhancing Human Senses, (4) Next Generation Workforce and (5) Supply Chain. The teams went through a unique high-paced design process, rooted in prototyping and end-user feedback. Every 90 minutes (sometimes even less) selected end-users were brought into the arena to help the teams explore untapped needs and test assumptions, making use of low and high fidelity prototypes. With this valuable input, the teams were able to quickly pivot to different concepts when necessary or validate and refine desirable concepts.

“When you have a good idea, bring in an end user and then they chop down 80% off your idea it really gets you down to the core of what’s useful, very quickly.”

Josh Goyder – Data scientist, Woodside Energy

The Results: 5 Startups with future-proof business models, validated prototypes, and game plans designed for impact.


The co-innovation lab ended with a “Dragon’s Den” in front of executive leadership from Cisco, Woodside, Ricoh and Rockwell Automation. The result? A big majority of ‘I’m in!’ as a response to all the five pitches, leading to 5 brand-new joint startups accompanying future-proof business models, validated prototypes and game plans designed for impact. And all this in just 48 hours!