A Division of the National Association of Manufacturers
“IT DOESN’T MATTER WHAT BUSINESS YOU’RE IN, THE CHALLENGES SEEM TO BE THE SAME FOR INNOVATION. THE IRI’S ANNUAL SELECTION OF INNOVATION GROWTH DRIVERS DEFINES THOSE CHALLENGES AS WELL AS ASPIRATIONS. THEY HELP US FOCUS, EXCHANGE IDEAS AND BEST PRACTICES, LEARN FROM EACH OTHER, AND IMPROVE OUR ORGANIZATIONS.”
—R&D Director, global chemical company
Each year, our organization identifies six key innovation growth drivers, reflecting the most relevant topics for our work.
The selection process begins in May at the Innovators Summit, where members discuss emerging trends and technological
breakthroughs. Insights from these discussions as well as member feedback, key themes from IRI’s Quarterly Trends Analyzer,
and distilled information from member company annual reports are presented to the Board of Advisors, who, in a facilitated
session, draft the following year’s themes. Members then provide feedback on the draft themes via check in calls and surveys
and the Board ratifies the final version in October. This process ensures our focus remains aligned with industry advancements,
fostering continuous innovation and growth
Increase Innovation ROI
- Establish metrics for Horizons 2
and 3 - Understand the importance of nonfinancial metrics
- Work across functions to adopt
and scale new technology
Improve the Innovation Pipeline
- Enhance strategic roadmapping
and foresight - Address customer insights and
needs
Enhance Sustainabillity
- Integrate sustainability goals into
innovation processes - Consider how regulations and
consumer behavior affect your
portfolio
Boost Speed and Agility with Digitalization
- Improve rapid prototyping,
iteration, simulation, and modeling - Leverage AI for prototyping,
mining data, and building a
knowledge center
Create a Future-Ready Workforce
- Gain strategies for knowledge
transfer - Upskill your internal team for the
tech-driven future
Build Resilient Supply Chains
- Improve decision-making with AI
and deeper data analytics - Increase transparency throughout
the supply chain
Ready to connect and collaborate with innovation experts and peers on these critical issues
and more? Visit iriweb.org/membership to explore IRI membership. Already a member?
Email iri@nam.org, to get help finding the IRI resources that will most benefit
your business this year.
“IRI MEMBERS DEFINE FOCUS POINTS FOR THE YEAR. THAT MEANS THE CONTENT AND EVENTS ALWAYS HAVE INSIGHTS AND TOOLS THAT ARE RELEVANT TO ME, AND THE PEOPLE I ENCOUNTER ARE DEALING WITH THE SAME ISSUES I’M DEALING WITH.”
—VP of Innovation, large construction products company
“THE IRI’S CRITICAL ISSUES AGENDA REALLY SETS THEM APART FROM OTHER PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS. I CAN KNOW INSTANTLY THAT CONVERSATIONS WILL BE MORE IN-DEPTH, THE PEOPLE I MEET ARE FACING SIMILAR CHALLENGES, AND WE’RE ALL WORKING TOWARDS COMMON GOALS TO BETTER OUR BUSINESSES AND THE INDUSTRY.”
—VP of Innovation, large construction products company