The past 18 months have necessitated some serious pivoting, agility and other forms of on-the-fly innovation from brands and businesses as consumer engagement, business models and the world in general were turned on their heads. But it may now be paying off for the most creative leaders and communicators.
Innovation drives the future—and if the past is any indication, it’s looking bright, according the latest research from digital workspace tech company Citrix Systems. The firm’s new report, The Era of Hyper Innovation, reveals that investments in new technology and flexible work models over the last year fueled a $678 billion boost in revenue across industries around the world—and the stage is set for continued growth.
“If the pandemic has proven anything, it’s that innovation can happen anywhere,” said Tim Minahan, Executive Vice President of Business Strategy at Citrix, in a news release. “While skeptical at first, business leaders now recognize the benefits that hybrid work can deliver and are moving quickly to embrace the model, along with tools and processes that empower employees to create and innovate, wherever they happen to be.”
Turbo charging innovation
In-person collaboration and successful innovation used to be synonymous. But technology has changed this.
- Almost nine in 10 business leaders who participated in The Era of Hyper Innovation survey say that the rollout and adoption of new, pandemic-inspired work tools has vastly improved the way individuals and teams interact.
- And 80 percent expect their organization to enter a hyper-innovation over the next 12 months and generate more ideas than ever before as a result.
Rethinking collaboration
In the absence of face-to-face communication, employees have found new ways to connect that respondents to The Era of Hyper Innovation say are vastly improving collaboration among individuals and teams and driving greater innovation.
- 93 percent of those polled believe that increased digital collaboration has led to more diverse voices from across the organization being heard and a greater range of ideas being surfaced.
- And 80 percent say that they, themselves, have come up with more creative ideas during the pandemic as they have had more free time to think.
Fueling growth
Where traditional mechanisms such as new customer acquisition, expansion into new markets and additional marketing activity used to be the primary drivers, organizations surveyed as part of The Era of Hyper Innovation attribute almost half of their growth over the last financial year to innovation, and specifically cited the following drivers:
- Adoption of new technology: 16 percent
- New products and/or services: 14 percent
- New ways of working: 14 percent
- New client/customer acquisition: 12 percent
- Expansion/entry into new markets: 12 percent
- Additional marketing activity: 11 percent
- New partnerships: 10 percent
- Mergers and acquisitions: 4 percent
To capitalize on the trend, business leaders are shifting their focus to new products and services. Of those polled, 69 percent say they will increase investment in R&D in the next 12 months and 28 percent will retain current levels, while just three percent plan reductions.
“Innovation doesn’t happen by accident,” Minahan said. “Companies that empower employees to do their best work, supported by the right technology and work models, can enable it and reap the benefits our research shows it can deliver.”
Download the full report here.
The Era of Hyper-Innovation examines creativity and collaboration in a hybrid working world, and the role of technology in powering innovation. In 2021, Citrix, in partnership with Man Bites Dog and Coleman Parkes Research, ran an independent opinion research study, interviewing 1,200 business leaders (job titles included Chief Executive Officer, Chief Finance Officer, Chief Marketing Officer, Chief Technology Officer, Chief Operating Officer, and Managing Director), working in large and mid-market businesses. Respondents were based in the US (400 respondents), the UK (200), France (200), Germany (200), and the Netherlands (200). The study focused on the following sectors: financial services, healthcare and life sciences, technology, professional services, manufacturing, and retail.
