Join us for an insightful conversation with Thomas Steen, CTO of Nortek Data Center Cooling, as he shares his journey from aerospace engineering to the world of data centers.

In this episode, Meetal Desai is joined by Steve Hafif, the CEO of Cypris, to explore the challenges and solutions in knowledge management for R&D teams.

Speaker: Andrew Detor, Program Manager, DARPA

Speaker: Alaina Harkness, CEO of Current

Award Winner: Heidi M. J. Bertels, Professor of Management, City University of New York – College of Staten Island

Speaker: William A. Singleton III, Executive Director, Global Packaging Innovation & Sustainability, Mars, Inc.

Speaker: Lee Green, AVP Research and Strategy, IRI

Moderator: Todd Boppell, COO, NAM

Panelists: Bob Heideman, SVP Corporate Technology, A. O. Smith and Amy Costello, Product Stewardship and Sustainability Manager, Armstrong World Industries

Speakers: Pam Henderson, CEO & Founder, NewEdge and Heather Vossler, Assistant Vice President of Insights, Innovation & Brand Analytics, Hormel Foods

Moderator: Nicole Mignacca, Director, DownSelect®, Innventure

Panelists: Drew Child, Vice President of R&D, Milliken & Co. and Stéphane Bazzana, Global Technical Director, Automotive Coatings, PPG

In this episode, we engage with Colin Scott, Nicole Mignacca, and Ellie Kim from Innventure, a leading firm renowned for transforming cutting-edge technology into successful market solutions. Join us as we explore Innventure’s unique approach to reducing risks and accelerating commercial success through strategic collaborations and a systematic evaluation process.

This episode of the IRI podcast dives deep into the pressing issues surrounding innovation, sustainability, and legal compliance in the manufacturing sector. Join Lee Green as she hosts an insightful session with Lindsay Brown and Brad Molotsky, partners at Duane Morris and experts in environmental law and transactional real estate, respectively. Lindsay and Brad explore the intricacies of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulations across various US states, discussing their impact on manufacturers, the complexities of compliance, and the importance of tracking and reporting.

Join us for an engaging interview with Sean Ammirati, CEO of Growth Signals and Distinguished Service Professor of Entrepreneurship at Carnegie Mellon University, as he explores how generative AI enhancing speed and productivity in R&D. Sean will share how genAI is transforming ideation, literature discovery, and management practices like StageGate, while dispelling common misconceptions about its impact. Gain valuable insights into how this groundbreaking technology is reshaping the way innovation happens today—and where it’s headed.

Join us in this eye-opening episode as we sit down with Daniel Shin, a prominent cybersecurity researcher and COVA CCI research scientist, to delve into the growing concerns surrounding the nefarious use of large language models. Discover how these powerful AI tools are being exploited in unexpected ways, from generating fictitious travel books to creating synthetic video content for quick monetization.

In this webinar, we’ll dive into how Milliken’s R&D team enhanced their research processes by digitizing handwritten lab notebooks. Learn how this shift has streamlined access to decades of internal knowledge, enhanced collaboration, and driven innovation across teams. Join us for a conversation about the journey, challenges, and the cutting-edge tools that made this transition possible.

In this webinar, Dr. Ed Rakiewicz, a recipient of the IRI Leadership Award, will discuss how PPG has successfully driven commercial growth while advancing its sustainability agenda. He will share the key enablers, challenges, and lessons learned in balancing profitability and sustainability, offering practical insights for businesses aiming to achieve both. Ed will also provide advice for early career professionals looking to make an impact in this space.

Join Lee Green from IRI as she engages in an insightful conversation with Noel Hollingsworth, the co-founder and CEO of Uncountable. Together, they delve into the transformative potential of AI in the realm of Research and Development (R&D) and explore the practical challenges organizations face in adopting AI technologies.

In this episode, we dive into the complexities of greenwashing with legal experts Laura Hammargren and Chris Bell. Laura, a shareholder at Greenberg Traurig, specializes in toxic and mass tort litigation, while Chris focuses on civil and criminal enforcement and environmental regulatory matters. Hosted by Lee Green of IRI’s research and strategic initiatives, this conversation sheds light on how companies can navigate the murky waters of environmental claims.

This report highlights the evolving role of customer insights in driving innovation, moving from simple data collection to a key component of the innovation process where customers actively co-create with companies. Businesses now leverage real-time interactions and advanced methodologies such as the Repertory Grid Technique, ethnographic research, and AI tools to gather deeper, more actionable insights. A case study of Novonesis demonstrates how integrating customer feedback, commercial feasibility, and technical viability leads to successful innovation across diverse industries.

Employee upskilling is essential for organizations to stay competitive and foster innovation. This episode explores how Eastman Chemical Company and A. O. Smith Corporation are leading the way in workforce development with their comprehensive upskilling programs.

Join us for an enlightening conversation with Iria Giuffrida, Professor of Practice of Law and Assistant Dean for Academic and Faculty Affairs at William & Mary Law School, as she shares her expertise on the intersection of artificial intelligence and the legal system. Hosted by Lee Green, the discussion delves into the latest updates on significant AI-related legal cases, the implications of the EU AI Act, and practical recommendations for businesses navigating the complex landscape of AI governance.

In this insightful episode, Lee Green interviews Lora Cerere, founder of Supply Chain Insights, as they delve into the evolving landscape of supply chain management.

Explore the critical role of strategic roadmapping and foresighting in organizational planning through the lens of Campbell’s Soup Company. This episode delves into how these intertwined processes enable effective goal alignment, resource allocation, and uncertainty navigation. Learn about the importance of agility and stakeholder engagement in fostering collaboration and informed decision-making. Discover how generative AI enhances these processes by rapidly analyzing datasets, aiding in analysis, pattern recognition, and trend identification.

Facilitator: Laura Buen Abad, Sonoco

Speakers: Michael Davin, National Association of Manufacturers

In this insightful episode, Laura Buen Abad, the technology and marketing lead at Sonoco, engages in a compelling discussion with Mike Davin from the National Association of Manufacturers. They delve into the intricate landscape of PFAS regulations, recent developments, and their implications for various industries.

Facilitator: Portia Yarborough, Michelman

Speaker: Gavin Towler, Honeywell

Join Gavin Towler, Corporate Chief Scientist, Sustainability Technology and Chief Sustainability Officer at Honeywell, and Portia Yarborough, Chief Science and Sustainability Officer at Michelman, for an insightful discussion on the intersection of science, sustainability, and innovation. In this keynote session, they explore the challenges and opportunities in advancing sustainability in the corporate world.

Facilitator: Jerry Grunewald, INVISTA

Panelists: Alyssa Mueller, Hess, and Alberto Ferrari, RTX

Jerry Grunewald from INVISTA kicks off the conference by discussing the importance of knowledge sharing and peer-to-peer interaction at IRI events. He introduces his colleagues Alyssa and Alberto, who delve into the transformative power of digitization and AI in their respective industries.

Facilitator: Lee Green, IRI

Panelist: Julie Edgar, The Lubrizol Corporation

In this episode, we welcome Julie Edgar, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of Lubrizol, and Lee Green, Assistant Vice President of Research and Strategy at IRI, to the stage. Julie shares her journey from a coal-mining town in Wales to leading technological innovations at Lubrizol. She discusses the company’s rich history, starting from a garage in Cleveland to becoming a global leader in chemical solutions.

Facilitator: Nancy Mancilla, Environ

Panelists: Joel Schall, Henkel, and Dan Boss, The AZEK Company

The panel will explore the intersection of sustainability and innovation processes, shedding light on how organizations integrate sustainability goals into their product development strategies. Panelists will delve into the intricacies of incorporating sustainability criteria into StageGate and other innovation processes, ensuring that organizational sustainability goals are woven into the fabric of innovation. The discussion will highlight the pivotal role of customer insights derived from sustainable preferences, emphasizing the importance of aligning products with the evolving market landscape.

In this enlightening episode, we delve into a deep-dive conversation with Aaron Szabo, Senior Director at Faegre Drinker. Harnessing his over a decade experience dealing with environmental, energy, and manufacturing issues, this podcast episode gives us illuminating insights into environmental and energy regulations and their impact. Zabo masterfully delves into the challenges of compliance and risk management strategies, offering invaluable guidance for businesses facing these issues.

This report sheds light on the significance of knowledge management and transfer in innovation and research development, focusing on Caterpillar Inc.’s exceptional practice of these critical business functions. Modern enterprises grapple with the challenge of retaining valuable knowledge in the face of increasing staff turnover and retirement – this is where effective knowledge management and transfer come in.

Listen as Thomas Thurston, chief technologist at Ducera Partners, and Greg Hannon, former chief technology officer at W.L. Gore & Associates, Inc., delve into the development of a tool that brings increased clarity to innovation portfolio decisions. They cover industry applications, the process of creating such a tool, and the transformative role of AI in shaping the future of innovation. Gain valuable perspectives on leveraging data for informed decision-making in your organization.

IRI’s Lee Green and Professor Rebecca Willett of University of Chicago explore the immediate impact of AI on scientific processes, from foundational tasks to failure mode identification, and gain perspectives on its future trajectory in scientific applications, alongside insights into student engagement with this transformative technology. 

This whitepaper offers insights into establishing an effective governance framework for Horizon 2 (H2) opportunities, focusing on transforming innovations into viable prototypes. It emphasizes the importance of fostering a supportive organizational culture that encourages risk-taking, facilitates decision-making, and promotes collaboration across functions. 

In the latest installment of IRI’s Sustainability Thought Leader series, we chat with Jeff Strahan, the Director of Research Compliance and Sustainability at Milliken and Company. Strahan provides an intriguing insight into his personal journey in sustainability, the difficulties and opportunities in dealing with PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), and Milliken’s assertive approach to sustainable development.

Setting your organization’s sustainability strategy and goals is one step in the sustainability journey.  The next is to be able to tell a compelling story to bring along staff, shareholders, customers, and other key stakeholders.  Luiziana Ribeiro, director of sustainability, BASF, shares how she is working to tell BASF’s story in ways that will help the organization to progress its goals and strategy in an inclusive, customer focused way.

Talk of AI is everywhere now, but are companies actually using new tools in a systematic way? If so, how? Chitra Kumar Sai, data scientist at INVISTA, shares examples of how they are using AI tools, including natural language processing, large language models, computer vision, and machine learning for root cause analysis. Learn how their data governance has enabled them to move quickly on these new technologies and how they are rolling tools out in the organization.

Learn from experienced innovation leaders how they have organized their R&D and innovation functions to adapt to changing priorities and environments while also capitalizing on internal expertise and resources.

Panelists:  Darin Latimer, Vice President, Strategic Innovation, Danaher Corporation; Srinivas Veeramasuneni, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, USG Corporation; Moderator:  Carlton Gibbs, Senior Manager, Packaging Development, Global R&D, Mars-Wrigley Snacking

With an organization of over 145,000 people and a product with over a 20 year lifespan, Boeing should not be able to change quickly. However, the drive for sustainability has brought the organization together to work toward industry-wide change. Learn from Sheila Remes, vice president, environmental sustainability, how Boeing has been able to bring together the many efforts on sustainability around the organization to drive toward cohesive goals. Sheila will also speak to how they’ve engaged customers and other stakeholders in their processes and how they approach the daunting task of doing a life cycle analysis on an airplane.

In this podcast, we explore Milliken’s proactive response to the challenges posed by PFAS, from initial realization to strategic shifts in R&D and analytics. We delve into leadership alignment, communication with customers, and SAP-related challenges, concluding with an evaluation of the PFAS supply chain’s reaction and Milliken’s current status post-PFAS removal.

Learn how BASF stays at the forefront of digital innovation. Brian Standen gives highlights of their process, from identifying potential trends to placing bets on which technologies will have the most impact to incubating then rolling those technologies out more widely in the organization. He shares techniques for managing a portfolio of new technologies (Spoiler: Don’t be afraid to be bold.) and ways to get buy in from relevant parts of the organization.

Smart glasses enabled Crown Holdings to continue to carry out plant trials even in the face of a pandemic. However, as travel restrictions and social distancing measures have been dropped, so have the use cases for smart glasses. Learn about the areas in which Crown finds value in using smart glasses and how they plan to use them as the technology matures.

The global regulatory environment has become increasingly difficult for companies to track and understand. Listen to the NAM’s VP of energy and resources policy, Brandon Farris for a breakdown on PFAS, power plants rule, and many more!

Gain an understanding of the key legal implications that innovators need to know as you integrate AI tools into your organization. Iria Giuffrida, Professor of the Practice of Law and Assistant Dean for Academic and Faculty Affairs at William & Mary Law School, dives into key legal issues around AI.

Integrating sustainability into all aspects of an organization is no small task. ICL galvanized their efforts by declaring 2022 to be the year of sustainability: holding activities, educating staff, and thinking about goals, both big and small and long and short term. Learn from Anantha Desikan, Executive Vice President and Chief Research, Development & Innovation Officer, how this helped ICL to integrate sustainability into their strategy and across their very diversified businesses.

Water cooler conversations have been virtually impossible (pun intended) for over three years now. But were they even an effective way to get your teams collaborating in the first place? Owens Corning looked at their successful ERP model and wondered how they could parlay that effective collaboration into other parts of the business, including new product development. Collaboration hubs are their answer. They are working to bring everyone and every project into a transparent system to enhance knowledge and collaboration. Pete Weddington, IT Director at Owens Corning, shares their work on this as well as other innovative approaches they are taking to getting the word out about new tools and systems.

Learn about Procter & Gamble’s focus on ensuring there is no trade off between value, quality, and sustainability. Jerry Porter, Senior Vice President, R&D Global Fabric Care, Flavors & Fragrance Discipline Capability and Fabric & Home Care Sector, at Procter & Gamble shares how innovation can rise to meet this challenge, working across the organization and with a broad range of partners.

Learn how Lam Research has harnessed their staff’s enthusiasm for sustainability and enabled great strides toward their environment, social, and governance (ESG) goals through the creation of a Sustainability Employee Resource Group (ERG).  Jami Haaning, Director of ESG, and Wojtek Osowiecki, Product Marketing Engineer and founder and chair of Lam Employee Sustainability Community (LESC), discuss Lam’s unique top down and bottom up approach to sustainability and share lessons learned that can be applied to all organizations looking to meet and exceed their sustainability goals.

Gain insights into two key aspects of the digital transformation journey: manufacturing and the customer experience. Lou Stocco, Director, Manufacturing Advanced Analytics at USG, will share how they are leveraging roadmaps and data and connecting their workforce as they work toward automated action. Sam Immordino, Director, Construction Software and Services, will discuss their digital center of excellence, how they are creating virtual spaces and experiences for their customers, and the ways they are developing institutional knowledge.

Learn how The J.M. Smucker Company calculates the return on investment for their sustainability initiatives, balancing value creation and risk management. Rebecca Ott, Director, Sustainability, shares their approach to sustainability metrics, navigating the regulatory environment, and mitigating risk in the supply chain.

Laura Buen Abad, Senior Director of Technology and Marketing, Flexible Packaging, Sonoco shares how they are integrating sustainability into their strategy and technology roadmaps, how it drives innovation priorities, and their approach to life cycle analysis.