CEO of Draper Ken Gabriel Says Innovation Requires Discipline

Orlando, FL (May 25, 2016)—Can an organization be trained to deliver innovation with discipline? In his keynote remarks this morning, Kaigham “Ken” Gabriel, President & CEO of Draper, explained that disciplined innovation is not only harmonious, but in practice it is required to successfully innovate.

“So many of us equate innovation with serendipity, a chance discovery that changes the world,” said Ed Bernstein, IRI President. “The truth is more benign. Innovation takes dedication, planning, resources, and the infrastructure to deliver it to market. Ken’s talk brought us back to this reality and highlighted how provocative the art of delivering innovation can be.”

So much rides on organizations being able to innovate, and the pace of change today is only accelerating, enhancing the need for collaboration and business practices that deliver innovation more rapidly. Establishing methods to transform innovation from trial-and-error into a disciplined competency within an organization, according to Gabriel, is an essential function of all business and R&D leaders. The challenges of the future will not wait for us to solve them by grasping blindly for answers. Discipline is required.

About the Industrial Research Institute (IRI)

The Industrial Research Institute (IRI) is an organization of 200+ industrial and service companies having a common interest in the effective management of technological innovation. IRI member companies span diverse industries and represent a substantial portion of our nation’s gross domestic product. IRI is the only cross-industry organization creating innovation leadership solutions and best practices in innovation management developed through collaborative knowledge creation. For more information, call 703-647-2580 or visit www.iriweb.org.