Innovation Lab as Operating System
Context & Stakes
A London-based global specialty insurer was establishing an innovation lab during a period when “innovation labs” were fashionable. The risk was well understood by leadership: most corporate innovation labs become sandboxes disconnected from business value within 18 months.
The Real Problem
They Thought
Innovation lab means a creative space for experimentation — PoCs, hackathons, emerging technology exploration. Success is measured by activity and executive excitement.My Findings
Without an operating model — demand intake, selection criteria, industrialization path, executive interface — the lab would become exactly the sandbox leadership feared. The design question was not "what should the lab explore?" but "how does the lab become an operating system for innovation?"Key Interventions
Lab operating model — Designed the lab as an operating system: structured pipeline from intake to delivery, value-driven selection criteria, clear handoff mechanisms to production teams.
Rapid pilots with business cases — Delivered concrete pilots including RPA automation and executive reporting transformation (compressing reporting cycles from months to near real-time), each with a documented business case.
Capital efficiency — Avoided approximately £1M in capital expenditure through intelligent reuse of existing infrastructure rather than building from scratch.
Measured Outcomes
A functioning innovation lab delivering pilots with measurable business impact. £1M capex avoided. Executive reporting compressed from months to near real-time.
Why This Case Is Reusable
Any organization building an innovation capability faces the same fork: sandbox or operating system. The operating system approach — structured pipeline, value-driven selection, clear handoff — is applicable regardless of industry. The £1M avoidance also demonstrates that capital discipline and innovation are not in tension.
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eric.de.morgoli@proton.me or View engagement criteria