2019-April-23

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Here’s the second installment of a two-part story about Jerome’s quest to deepen his understanding of innovation by visiting Cisco’s global Co-Innovation Centers. In Part 1, he described his experiences visiting three of our Co-Innovation Centers in Europe. In Part 2, he heads to Asia.

Jerome's Journey to Unearth Innovation, Part 2

By Jerome J. Sanders, Global Communications Manager, Employee Experience & Communications

Don’t get me wrong. The opportunity to visit our Co-Innovation Centers in London, Paris, and Barcelona was a career highlight for me.

But I desired more. I craved to learn more about what the rest of the world had to offer.

I wanted to see what Cisco is doing in these hives of creativity in Asia, and I wasn’t disappointed by the honey I discovered — more about that later.

My 56,000-mile, four-month-long journey was equal parts business and pleasure. On one hand, it was the fulfillment of a dream that blended my loves of travel, technology, and discovering new cultures.

On the other, it’s part of my role as a global communications manager, reporting on innovation at Cisco.

Read on to join me for this final stretch of my enlightening journey!

Innovation in Asia

Of Cisco’s 14 Co-Innovation Centers and counting, four are in the Asia Pacific, Japan, and China (APJC) region.

Speechless after watching the grand opening celebration of the new Singapore Cisco office.

Singapore, Singapore

Name: Singapore Co-Innovation Center
Location: About three miles west of the downtown core in the tech hub known as Mapletree Business City. The center sits on the 25th floor of a high-rise overlooking the city, within Cisco’s brand-new Singapore office. It shares the space with our new Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (CCX).
The Vibe: Ultra high-tech, sleek, and so high up you feel like you’re on top of the world. The space is wide open and welcoming with more than enough personal meeting rooms.
Claims to Fame: It’s still too new to have any. But the intent is for the center to inspire the next generation of Singapore's leaders. In addition, this space has the potential to make a splash in IoT, cybersecurity, and new digital capabilities.
Impact: It will play a major role in cybersecurity.
Personal Highlights: My visit coincided with the center’s grand opening in February. The ceremony featured Chinese New Year’s dragons and Indian “bhangra” dancers for a vibrant mix of cultures to welcome a new chapter of innovation. It was also a perfect antidote for jet-lag!
Jerome’s Hidden Gems: In addition to the popular tourist spots (Marina Bay Sands and Gardens by the Bay), check out:
- Cé la Vi: a restaurant atop the 654-foot-high Marina Bay Sands hotel with aerial views of the city
- IndoChine: a rooftop bar perched in the tallest of the man-made Supertrees in Gardens by the Bay

Sydney, Perth, Tokyo

I didn’t actually visit our Co-innovation Centers in these three cities, but I learned about what they’re up to from APJC Innovation Director, Michael Maltese, at the Co-Innovation Pavilion at Cisco Live Melbourne.

Street art in Australia will make you want to jump.

Name: Innovation Central Sydney
- Location: Sydney, Australia
- Impact: The center and Cisco are partnering with the University of New South Wales on connected urban transportation through Mobility as a Service (MaaS).

Name: Innovation Central Perth
- Location: Perth, Australia
- Impact: Cisco has partnered with Curtin University to use IoT in a global, connected campus including about 80 learning spaces that use Cisco technology to prepare the leaders of the future. Also, Cisco has announced a global Center for Intent-Based Networking which will share the space with Innovation Central Perth on the Curtin University’s Perth campus. It’s focused on transforming industries like manufacturing, mining, and utilities.

Name: Tokyo Co-Innovation Center
- Location: Tokyo, Japan
- Impact: Opened in 2014, Cisco has collaborated with more than 100 customers and partners to create digital solutions across a range of industries, especially the public sector and manufacturing.

The Future of Wireless Technology

Of course, a current shared focus of our Co-Innovation Centers is the future of wireless mobility with 5G Wireless and Wi-Fi 6.

The fast connections are expected to transform everything from manufacturing automation and self-driving vehicles to healthcare and even how cows are milked!

(Still foggy about what 5G and Wi-Fi 6 even are? Check out this helpful infographic.)

Innovation and Diversity: A Virtuous Circlez

So, what’s the essential takeaway from my global quest for innovation? In Part 1, I mentioned the optimism I feel about our future at Cisco and the impact we will have on the world. This time around, my big discovery concerns the link between diversity and innovation. — and this gets back to that honey I mentioned earlier.

We all know innovation creates new technologies. But did you ever think of innovation as the honey that attracts a greater diversity of talent — which in turn further magnifies innovation?

Where there are differences, there is something special.

Whenever I entered a new center, I was continually struck by the diverse teams.

There were people of multiple generations working together — ranging from college students to experienced professionals. Their backgrounds are a rich blend of academia, government, startups, developers, enterprises, and more.

The more diverse collective knowledge and intelligence a team has, the more opportunities they have to make better business decisions, solve complex problems, and develop boundless ideas.

It’s one reason Cisco emphasizes diversity so much — we ranked 7th on Fortune’s 100 Best Workplaces for Diversity list for 2018. And not just diversity, but full-spectrum diversity.

Final Thoughts

Innovation happens when diverse perspectives acrossage, gender, race, ethnicity, orientation, religion, culture, and experience come together.

For a more innovative mindset, take a moment to recognize and appreciate the diversity of thought that has led to some of the most creative ideas and meaningful change. You make a difference.

Thanks for embarking on this global journey with me to uncover innovation. A special shout out to everyone at Cisco who made this experience possible.

Call to Action

There are countless ways to add your impact. Here are a few ideas to get started:

Visit one of the fourteen cities that are home to a Co-Innovation Center with Cisco or your company.
Take the Multiplier Effect pledge to change the diversity equation across the industry.
Share in the comments how you will encourage your team to tap into an innovative mindset.