American corporations are some of the most innovative in the world. Companies have set up dedicated innovation labs, in which great minds come together to develop the most weird and wonderful ideas. Usually, these labs are away from the company itself, allowing creativity to flow in an uninterrupted and non-influenced manner. Let’s take a look at the five greatest innovation labs.
Top 5 Innovation Labs in the Country
The Google X Lab. This is a secret facility away from the Mountain View, CA main Google campus. It was named after Google X, one of the company’s failures. This demonstrates that failing is part of innovative. The lab has created Google Glass, drones, smart home appliances, self-driving cars, and more. Some of the world’s most ambitious projects are created here, made possible in part due to the nearly unlimited budget that the company has at its disposal.
Symantec. They have an open innovation lab, because they believe that collaboration is key to innovation. Government agencies, universities, research facilities, and other global partnerships come together here to develop innovative products. The focus is on solving modern-day problems and creating items that can be commercialized very quickly.
Absolut Labs. These focus specifically on marketing innovations. They perform new pieces of research, determining expected changes in consumer behavior over the next three decades. Currently, they are looking at the impact of new technology on nightlife, considering whether concerts could be experienced through VR technology.
Sephora Innovation Lab. This lab, miles away from the Sephora headquarters, looks specifically at how customer experience can be improved. They work in store and through mobile setups, which has enabled them to develop Color IQ, for instance. This helps consumers find the makeup color that is suitable for their skin tone. Within the lab, innovators experience simulation customer experience and spend time in ideation spaces for more inspiration.
Microsoft Research. This is one of the oldest innovation labs in the country and was founded in 1991. It is a huge lab, with around 1,000 employees, who work on developing new types of technology. They also work together with organizations such as universities and other tech agencies. Uniquely, this lab has branches the world over, with each brand aiming to resolve specific consumer problems.
Why Innovation Labs Matter
The vast majority of companies simply do not have the budget to create an innovation lab, or even to test out an innovative idea. However, they can look at these labs and be inspired by what they do. Setting aside some time and people every once in a while to at least come up with ideas is a fantastic way to encourage innovative thinking. While it may be true that not every idea can be tested and implemented, some of them can be. And, mainly, it also shows that it is ok to fail, because in every failure is a lesson to be learned, meaning it actually becomes a success.