The Innovation Brief

Innovation Brief
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The Innovation Brief features conversations with innovation leaders exploring the ideas, challenges, and breakthroughs that are defining our future.

  1. The Pretzel Theory of Innovation, with Selina Lehmann, Mahle

    13h ago

    The Pretzel Theory of Innovation, with Selina Lehmann, Mahle

    In this episode of The Innovation Brief Podcast, host Gabi Matic speaks with Selina Lehmann, Innovation Manager at Mahle and lead of the company's venture clienting programme, about what it really takes to run idea management at scale and what her own academic research reveals about where AI genuinely helps, and where it doesn't. Selina shares how five years managing global ideation platforms led her into doctoral research on AI and innovation, and how she now combines hands-on practice with published findings on what actually makes ideation systems work. The episode also explores: Why innovation is fundamentally people business, and what that means for how ideas should be evaluated and rewardedWhat venture clienting is, and how Mahle uses it to bring external startup innovation into a large industrial organisationThe real misunderstandings between corporates and startups, on both sidesThe "content formulation pain", the universal bottleneck in ideation systems that has little to do with creativityThe five roles AI can play inside an ideation system: inspirer, stylist, matchmaker, analyst, and organiserHow to sequence AI adoption, starting with people, not toolsTwo possible futures for human creativity and AI inside large organisationsWhy visible recognition often motivates more than financial rewardThe underrecognised history of women in innovation, from Clara Ritter to today At its core, this conversation is about what actually drives good ideas to the surface, and what gets in the way before AI ever enters the picture. So, as organisations rush to adopt AI in their innovation processes: are we solving the right problems, or just generating more ideas faster? Follow Selina: linkedin.com/in/selina-lehmann Innovation Manager, Venture Clienting at Mahle | Doctoral Researcher, University of Hohenheim To Listen Elsewhere: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3ppEcvpGYruz6VdXu21A96 Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-innovation-brief/id1831453913 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@InnovationBrief Contact Us Thanks for tuning in to The Innovation Brief, the podcast for the people building, funding, and governing innovation - inside corporates, governments, and ecosystems across the globe. Bi-weekly conversations with the leaders shaping the future. Find out more: Website: https://www.innovationbrief.co Email: hello@innovationbrief.co  Follow us on social media: Connect on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/innovation-brief/ Subscribe on Substack: https://innovationbrief.substack.com/ The Innovation Brief is produced by Metta. Metta focuses on research into innovation & entrepreneurship, programme design and delivery, and ecosystem building for more sustainable and resilient futures. Learn more about Metta: https://www.metta.partners Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mettatalks/  Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/mettatalks

    44 min
  2. Innovation Without a Playbook, with Dirk Ploss, Beiersdorf

    Jun 17

    Innovation Without a Playbook, with Dirk Ploss, Beiersdorf

    Innovation Without a Playbook, with Dirk Ploss In this episode of The Innovation Brief Podcast, hosts Wil Benton and Gabi Matic speak with Dirk Ploss, digital pioneer and Associate Director Early, Innovation at Beiersdorf, about what three decades of building at the edge of the possible actually looks like, and what it teaches you about innovation, transformation, and getting things done. Dirk shares how his early career in advertising shaped a resilience that carried him through founding startups, leading e-commerce transformation before the term was widely understood, and driving innovation inside one of the world's most recognisable FMCG companies. The episode also explores: • Why emotional transformation is the hardest layer of any digital or business transformation • What founding four startups (and watching two of them fail) teaches you that success never could • How large corporations can move faster than startups when aligned around a shared goal • Building teams that tell you the truth, and why that is the most important thing a leader can do • Why most productivity systems fail, and the DIRK framework Dirk is writing his next book around • What it means to operate without guarantees, and how to keep building anyway • The difference between doing the right thing and doing things right At its core, this conversation is about what innovation actually demands of the people who practise it: not just tools or frameworks, but character, the capacity to tolerate uncertainty, hire well, and stay curious when the path runs out. So, as organisations face pressure to transform faster than ever before: how do we build the resilience, the honesty, and the long-term thinking that real innovation requires? Follow Dirk Ploss: linkedin.com/in/dirk-ploss To Listen Elsewhere: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3ppEcvpGYruz6VdXu21A96 Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-innovation-brief/id1831453913 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@InnovationBrief  Contact Us Thanks for tuning in to The Innovation Brief, the podcast for the people building, funding, and governing innovation - inside corporates, governments, and ecosystems across the globe. Bi-weekly conversations with the leaders shaping the future. Find out more: Website: https://www.innovationbrief.co Email: hello@innovationbrief.co  Follow us on social media: Connect on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/innovation-brief/ Subscribe on Substack: https://innovationbrief.substack.com/ The Innovation Brief is produced by Metta. Metta focuses on research into innovation & entrepreneurship, programme design and delivery, and ecosystem building for more sustainable and resilient futures. Learn more about Metta: https://www.metta.partners Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mettatalks/  Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/mettatalks

    47 min
  3. Thomas Boermans: AI, RISK, & the FUTURE OF POWER | Inside Smart Energy at E.ON

    Jun 3

    Thomas Boermans: AI, RISK, & the FUTURE OF POWER | Inside Smart Energy at E.ON

    How To Drive Better Energy Decisions: From A to Z In this episode of The Innovation Brief Podcast, hosts Matt Briggs and Gabriella G. Hernandez speak with Thomas Boermans, Head of Trend Intelligence at E.ON, about how innovation leadership is evolving inside one of Europe’s largest energy companies. Thomas shares how foresight has shifted from trend-spotting to becoming a core part of strategic decision-making. This includes supporting everything from setting strategic objectives to navigating disruption in the energy sector innovation space. The episode also explores: Smart grid technologies and how smart grids are reshaping energy systemsHow ethical AI supports foresight without replacing human judgementThe role of data governance implementation and data governance tools in enabling better decisionsWhat new innovation leadership looks like in complex organisationsHow social impact and humanitarian innovation are increasingly tied to energy transformationBridging the gap between theoretical foresight and practical, daily strategic applicationBuilding resilient, future-focused organisations with The Innovation Brief mindsetAt its core, this conversation is about transformative work: how organisations can move beyond reacting to change and start actively shaping what comes next.  So, as energy systems, technology, and society continue to evolve: how do we make sure the decisions we’re making today are truly aligned with the future we want to build? Follow Thomas: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-boermans-07701a5/ Head of Trend Intelligence at E.ON SE, Advisory Board Member at Themis Foresight To Listen Elsewhere: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3ppEcvpGYruz6VdXu21A96?si=8cc299071e374f8d Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-innovation-brief/id1831453913 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@InnovationBrief Contact Us Thanks for tuning in to The Innovation Brief, the podcast for the people building, funding, and governing innovation - inside corporates, governments, and ecosystems across the globe. Bi-weekly conversations with the leaders shaping the future. Find out more: Website: https://www.innovationbrief.co Email: hello@innovationbrief.co  Follow us on social media: Connect on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/innovation-brief/ Subscribe on Substack: https://innovationbrief.substack.com/ The Innovation Brief is produced by Metta. Metta focuses on research into innovation & entrepreneurship, programme design and delivery, and ecosystem building for more sustainable and resilient futures. Learn more about Metta: https://www.metta.partners Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mettatalks/  Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/mettatalks

    21 min
  4. Innovation at the Frontlines of Global Hunger with Sandra Raad, UN WFP Innovation Accelerator

    May 20

    Innovation at the Frontlines of Global Hunger with Sandra Raad, UN WFP Innovation Accelerator

    Sandra Raad has spent a decade building innovation capacity inside one of the world's most complex humanitarian organisations. Her verdict? Innovation is not a silver bullet - and in a world where 318 million people face acute hunger, that clarity matters. In this episode, Sandra (Head of Innovation Network at the United Nations World Food Programme Innovation Accelerator) joins Innovation Brief co-hosts Gabriella G. Hernandez and Stephanie Shaar to talk about what innovation actually means when lives are on the line - not the shiny tech version, but the unglamorous, human-centred, politically aware work of making new ideas stick inside large institutions under extreme pressure. Sandra explains what WFP Innovation has built over the past decade: an award-winning community of 600 internal champions, AI-enabled supply chain tools that generate millions in savings, and programmes designed from the ground up for people living in fragile, conflict-affected environments.  At WFP, innovation is fundamentally about doing more with less - stretching every dollar further, compressing delivery timelines from weeks to hours, and finding smarter pathways to reach more of the 318 million people facing acute hunger today. She also talks honestly about what innovation cannot do - replace political will, resolve structural inequality, or prevent crises. In a humanitarian context, innovation is a powerful enabler, but it works alongside structural change, not in place of it. We also go somewhere most innovation podcasts don't: the emotional weight carried by people doing this work, why protecting innovators' mental health is a leadership responsibility, and how Sandra herself navigates hope and resilience when the world feels relentlessly difficult. If you work in innovation, impact, or humanitarian response - or if you simply want a more honest conversation about what it takes to make ideas matter - this one is worth your time. Learn more and get involved: UN WFP Innovation Accelerator:  https://innovation.wfp.org/Support WFP via the Share the Meal app - it costs less than $1 to feed one person for a day: https://sharethemeal.org/Connect with Sandra on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandra-raad/Contact Us Thanks for tuning in to The Innovation Brief, the podcast for the people building, funding, and governing innovation - inside corporates, governments, and ecosystems across the globe. Bi-weekly conversations with the leaders shaping the future. Find out more: Website: https://www.innovationbrief.co Email: hello@innovationbrief.co  Follow us on social media: Connect on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/innovation-brief/ Subscribe on Substack: https://innovationbrief.substack.com/ The Innovation Brief is produced by Metta. Metta focuses on research into innovation & entrepreneurship, programme design and delivery, and ecosystem building for more sustainable and resilient futures. Learn more about Metta: https://www.metta.partners Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mettatalks/  Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/mettatalks

    46 min
  5. Leaps of Faith: Entrepreneurship, Empathy and Ecosystems with Alejandro Ortega, StartLife

    May 5

    Leaps of Faith: Entrepreneurship, Empathy and Ecosystems with Alejandro Ortega, StartLife

    In this episode of the Innovation Brief, hosts Gabriella G. Hernandez and Gabriela  Matic sit down with Alejandro Ortega, Programme Manager at StartLife, co‑founder and Managing Partner at Deep Impact Venture Partners, and co‑creator of Inspira Diaspora.  Alejandro shares his journey from feeling like an outsider in Costa Rica to launching startups, moving to the Netherlands, and now shaping agritech, foodtech, and cleantech ecosystems across Europe and Latin America. Together, they explore what it really means to take a leap of faith as an entrepreneur, the cultural and structural barriers faced by founders from Latin America and the Caribbean, and why “founder mining” – backing people, not just polished startups – could unlock the region’s true innovation potential. They explore: How personal history, family values, and a pivotal moment of loss pushed Alejandro to leave a comfortable tech job and commit to impact‑driven entrepreneurshipWhy programmes like StartLife are critical in reducing the “valley of death” for early-stage founders, from validation and mentorship to infrastructure and long-term supportThe limits of copying Silicon Valley in emerging markets, and what European ecosystems can learn from Latin American resilience and resourcefulnessThe role of diaspora communities - from Latin America & the Caribbean to the Balkans - in opening doors, sharing networks, and building new models of capital and cross-border collaborationThe tension between chasing quick financial returns and building long-term, values‑driven impact, and why conviction matters more than hypeWhether you’re a founder, ecosystem builder, investor, or part of a global diaspora looking to give back, this conversation offers a candid, hopeful look at how we can build more inclusive, human‑centred innovation ecosystems. Connect with Alejandro via LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aleortega/ Learn more about StartLife: https://startlife.nl/ Learn more about Deep Impact Venture Partners: https://deepimpact.earth/ Contact Us Thanks for tuning in to The Innovation Brief, the podcast for the people building, funding, and governing innovation - inside corporates, governments, and ecosystems across the globe. Bi-weekly conversations with the leaders shaping the future. Find out more: Website: https://www.innovationbrief.co Email: hello@innovationbrief.co  Follow us on social media: Connect on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/innovation-brief/ Subscribe on Substack: https://innovationbrief.substack.com/ The Innovation Brief is produced by Metta. Metta focuses on research into innovation & entrepreneurship, programme design and delivery, and ecosystem building for more sustainable and resilient futures. Learn more about Metta: https://www.metta.partners Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mettatalks/  Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/mettatalks

    51 min
  6. Culture, Code, and Climate: AI, Industry, and the Future of Sustainability with Pina Schlombs, Siemens

    Apr 21

    Culture, Code, and Climate: AI, Industry, and the Future of Sustainability with Pina Schlombs, Siemens

    In this episode of the Innovation Brief, co-hosts Gabriela Matic and Gabriella G. Hernandez sit down with Pina Schlombs, Sustainability Lead & Senior Thought Leader on Industrial AI at Siemens Digital Industries Software, to explore what it really takes to transform heavy industry in a world of tightening regulations, ambitious climate targets, and rapidly evolving AI.  Drawing on her experience across Siemens and Volkswagen, Pina explains why what most people consider “innovation” is actually optimisation - and why true transformation starts with rethinking operating models, not just adding new tools. This episode unpacks how digital backbones, data-driven decision-making, and AI-powered design are enabling Siemens and its customers to cut emissions, meet regulatory demands, and create new commercial opportunities. Pina shares concrete examples, from eco-design guidelines embedded directly into R&D workflows to AI systems that propose product design changes while balancing cost, manufacturability, and environmental impact. Throughout the conversation, we dig into the human side of change: culture, talent, and leadership. Pina contrasts organisations that “play not to lose” with those that “play to win,” and reflects on the role of networks like the Sustainability Circle in helping leaders navigate complex decisions, build new capabilities, and move faster - without losing sight of responsibility. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why digitalisation has become a critical lever for sustainability in heavy, high-impact industriesHow to think about footprint vs. handprint when assessing the true impact of AI and digital infrastructureWhat differentiates genuine innovation from incremental optimisation, and why that distinction matters nowHow culture, talent, and cross-functional collaboration enable (or block) large-scale sustainability transformationConnect with Pina via LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pinaschlombs/ Follow Siemens Digital Industries Software: https://www.linkedin.com/company/siemenssoftware/ Learn more about the Sustainability Circle: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-sustainability-circle/ Contact Us Thanks for tuning in to The Innovation Brief, the podcast for the people building, funding, and governing innovation - inside corporates, governments, and ecosystems across the globe. Bi-weekly conversations with the leaders shaping the future. Find out more: Website: https://www.innovationbrief.co Email: hello@innovationbrief.co  Follow us on social media: Connect on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/innovation-brief/ Subscribe on Substack: https://innovationbrief.substack.com/ The Innovation Brief is produced by Metta. Metta focuses on research into innovation & entrepreneurship, programme design and delivery, and ecosystem building for more sustainable and resilient futures. Learn more about Metta: https://www.metta.partners Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mettatalks/  Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/mettatalks

    42 min
  7. Beyond Fast Fashion: Rethinking Industry and Rewiring the System with Fredrik Timour, Fashion Innovation Center

    Apr 7

    Beyond Fast Fashion: Rethinking Industry and Rewiring the System with Fredrik Timour, Fashion Innovation Center

    The fashion industry looks fast and innovative from the outside, but behind the surface, it’s one of the most conservative, fragmented, and unregulated systems we have developed. Producing 10% of global emissions and accounting for roughly 40% of waste, it is also one of the most unsustainable industries in the world.  In this episode of Innovation Brief, Fredrik Timour - an entrepreneur, lecturer, founder of the Fashion Innovation Center, the Open Connector Alliance, and Neue Labs AB, head of fashion innovation at the Swedish Fashion Council, and co-chair of the Culture and Creative Industries Taskforce at the United Nations Global Innovation Hub - pulls back the curtain on how fashion really works as an industrial system, not just a cultural one. We explore why most brands don’t have real R&D budgets, how opaque supply chains block change, and why new regulations are about to force a reckoning across the sector. Fredrik argues that focusing on new materials and recycling first is the wrong order of priorities - and that tackling overproduction, product lifetime, and the back-end systems could produce far greater impact. From digital product passports and data-driven supply chains to nearshoring, and localised production, this conversation offers a realistic but hopeful roadmap for transforming one of the world’s most polluting industries. Contact Us Thanks for tuning in to The Innovation Brief, the podcast for the people building, funding, and governing innovation - inside corporates, governments, and ecosystems across the globe. Bi-weekly conversations with the leaders shaping the future. Find out more: Website: https://www.innovationbrief.co Email: hello@innovationbrief.co  Follow us on social media: Connect on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/innovation-brief/ Subscribe on Substack: https://innovationbrief.substack.com/ The Innovation Brief is produced by Metta. Metta focuses on research into innovation & entrepreneurship, programme design and delivery, and ecosystem building for more sustainable and resilient futures. Learn more about Metta: https://www.metta.partners Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mettatalks/  Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/mettatalks

    36 min
  8. Building the Future of UK Aerospace: Strategy, Startups, and Sustainability with Nour Eid, Aerospace Technology Institute

    Mar 24

    Building the Future of UK Aerospace: Strategy, Startups, and Sustainability with Nour Eid, Aerospace Technology Institute

    The future of UK aerospace is being shaped right now - in strategy documents, funding decisions, and collaborations that most people never see. In this episode of the Innovation Brief, Wil Benton and Matt Briggs speak with Nour Eid, Head of Strategy at the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) and former Airbus engineer, about how the UK is building its next generation of aerospace capability – from ultra‑efficient aircraft to hydrogen, SAF, and startup collaboration. Nour shares candid insights from almost a decade at ATI on what it really takes to design a national technology roadmap, keep a 10% share of the global aerospace market, and still make meaningful progress on sustainability in a long‑cycle, highly regulated industry. In this episode: How the ATI actually works – and how it turns public funding into real technology and industrial capabilityWhat “credible” sustainable aviation looks like beyond the buzzwords (SAF, hydrogen, ultra‑efficient aircraft, operations)The role of startups and SMEs in a sector dominated by OEMs and Tier 1s – and what ATI has learned from backing 300+ SMEsHow the UK is thinking about industrial competitiveness, supply chain resilience, and talentWhy inspiration from AI, digital, and quantum is already changing thinking inside aerospaceHow Noor balances aerospace strategy with a parallel career as a DJ and producer – and why creative outlets matter for leaders🔗 Connect with Nour on LinkedIn | Instagram | Spotify Learn more about the ATI Contact Us Thanks for tuning in to The Innovation Brief, the podcast for the people building, funding, and governing innovation - inside corporates, governments, and ecosystems across the globe. Bi-weekly conversations with the leaders shaping the future. Find out more: Website: https://www.innovationbrief.co Email: hello@innovationbrief.co  Follow us on social media: Connect on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/innovation-brief/ Subscribe on Substack: https://innovationbrief.substack.com/ The Innovation Brief is produced by Metta. Metta focuses on research into innovation & entrepreneurship, programme design and delivery, and ecosystem building for more sustainable and resilient futures. Learn more about Metta: https://www.metta.partners Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mettatalks/  Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/mettatalks

    31 min
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The Innovation Brief features conversations with innovation leaders exploring the ideas, challenges, and breakthroughs that are defining our future.

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  • Creator
    Innovation Brief
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    16
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Innovation Brief
  • Show Website
    The Innovation Brief