UNIQUE SETTING GIVES FORD'S BEST THINKERS A PLACE TO THINK, INNOVATE

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It's amazing what a room filled with radio-controlled cars, a 3-foot Statue of Liberty made of Legos and some comfy couches can do to stir the imagination.
It may seem a place for fun and games, but to Ford Global Technologies, LLC, the Innovation Acceleration Center is a serious facility concerned with a serious goal: Brainstorming the future of Ford.
Launched two years ago, the Innovation Acceleration Center invites groups from all areas of operations at Ford to use the facility to think not just outside the box, but even outside the car.
"We offer a creative, off-site environment that is on-site at Ford," said Bill Coughlin, president and CEO, Ford Global Technologies, LLC. "When people come here they realize they aren't in Kansas anymore. They have the opportunity to push aside for awhile the typical constraints to think creatively and to see what may really be the best way forward."
Located on the eighth floor of Parklane Tower, many different groups have taken advantage of the free facility -- which has break-out rooms and a small kitchen -- including marketing, product development and research and engineering groups.
The drive of the Innovation Acceleration Center isn't just a place to think of a few idle ideas; it aims to do just hat its name implies: accelerate innovation at Ford. Ford Global Technologies, a wholly-owned subsidiary that manages all of Ford's intellectual property, encourages the development of patentable, innovative solutions.
"Every aspect of our business can be improved in an innovative way to differentiate us from our competitors," said Greg Brown, manager of the center and IP counsel at FGTL. "So we hold sessions at the center on health care, diversity, incentive programs -- it's not just about steering nibble problems and hybrid vehicles. When you come play with us, our shtick is 'think outside the box; think game-changing.
Think disruptive.
Remember the Sony Walkman? Well, when Apple came out with the iPod, Sony's Walkman went the way of the 8-track tape. Sony's market was disrupted.
"A sustaining technology means that it helps sustains the business just as it is," said Brown. "A disruptive solution means that it displaces prior solutions."
These are the ideas FGTL staff seek, which is all about setting Ford products apart from the competition.
"Desirable innovation is the key, because when we have a product that nobody else has we can command a premium," said Brown. "If you call a supplier every time you need a better widget, you won't get anything that differentiates your product. Taken to extremes, the styling of the vehicle is all you are left with, everything else is just a commodity."
Another strategy is capturing IP early in order to have a broader market impact.
"If you start to think about capturing IP just before production, you are too late in the game, and someone else will likely have patented the solution," said Brown. "Timing is fundamental in terms of the value of your IP."
The earlier Ford can get its innovations patented, the broader their application can be, both inside and outside our industry.
"The way we like to describe this is that instead of patenting an iPod compatibility device for an FM radio on a blue Focus, we would much rather broadly claim a radio with iPod compatibility," said Brown. "If you can claim a radio with iPod compatibility, you have something that everyone will want, whether they are building a blue Focus or purple Toyota."
Through the center, FGTL's patent and marketing experienced people are able to get in on the ground floor of the innovation process. For example, a Ford researcher invents something really cool and FGTL might say this is great but let's try to build some more invention around it or help them take it to the next level. It's about building strategic patents around an invention, again, early.
"We don't steer; the program directors steer us," said Coughlin. "We are there to facilitate and to assist with our expertise on the patent side. We explore with Ford's product teams problems they might face in the future, and then try to start solving them now and patent them."

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