Sustainability: business, life, environment

When CEO Larry Page cleaned house and shut down Google Labs, a home for innovative Google projects, many believed the company’s cutting-edge image began to fade.  With their rivals running their own ‘secret’ labs, pressures began to build on Google to re-open its program.  However, a new collaborative and arguably more sustainable approach to next-generation innovation had just broken the surface at Google.

Described in an Information Week article, IW explores Google’s recent approach to ‘Radical’ idea generation.  Breaking the mold on typical in-house development, the tech-giant held a meeting of business stakeholders focused on a variety of business sustainability concepts and innovative thinking, which the company has now shared on its website.

"Solve for X is a place where the curious can go to hear and discuss radical technology ideas for solving global problems…Radical in the sense that the solutions could help billions of people. Radical in the sense that the audaciousness of the proposals makes them sound like science fiction."

Google, like many other progressive companies, is opening the doors to innovation.  Our sustainability consulting firmly supports this path of collaborative innovation for sustainable business development.  How we communicate and exchange information is becoming a true competitive advantage and in some cases a business sustainability necessity.

For many, success may be determined by selling a product or service.  For others, it is about advancing the businesses sustainability conversation - whether that is in regards to their own products/ services or the conversation as a whole.  The leading-edge and proactive businesses are leveraging both definitions of success simultaneously through social media engagement.  Google’s ‘Radical’ approach is one such example.