Oetiker InnoLab - Transforming the way we work
Innovation has always been an important part of Oetiker. Founder, Hans Oetiker, built our business with the break-through invention of the ear clamp. Over the last few decades, additional innovative products have helped us become the supplier of choice for many customers.
Improving product performance to decrease emissions and create cleaner vehicles has become a top priority in the automotive industry. Because of this, current market expectations are requiring ideas, concepts and product validation to be delivered at an ever-increasing speed. Market-leading product design, performance and quality are all considered to be prerequisites when creating our high-end connecting solutions for vehicles. Meeting these demands calls for an agile approach to product and process innovation.
Recently in Los Angeles, California, a global team of Oetiker engineers formed a temporary task force to work with a major OEM. Their goal was to deliver innovative ideas and concepts from both a technical and economic perspective on how a quick connector might be best used in an automotive development supporting the use of hydrogen fuel. In just three weeks, the global team was able to identify the most anticipated market and technology trends for this project. They generated CAD models, calculations and 3D print prototypes, which were then shared with the OEM.
The offsite workshop was inherently named InnoLab. Taking the team out of their daily workplace allowed them to focus exclusively on the challenge at hand. Being close to the OEM allowed the team to quickly present their initial ideas, product expertise and spirit of co-development.
For Oetiker, there is value in identifying pain points and validating ideas with our partners early in the development phase. This optimizes the creative ideation which will eventually result in the best collaborative solution. Agile approaches, like the InnoLab, will support new processes and products that will lead to new ideas and inventions, getting us one step closer to the ultimate goal of a cleaner, more sustainable environment.
If you are interested in collaborating with Oetiker on an InnoLab or development project please contact us at InnoLab@oetiker.com.