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GRDF - the French national natural and bio gaz distributor - delivers incremental innovations. However disruptive innovations remain stuck in the valley of death - industrialisation does not start or is delayed continuously.

Consequently, I got a three month job to test the "PEPITE" method to cross the valley of death. It's been a month, what are the results ?

Step 1 - innovation field

We're working on Augmented Reality (AR) as this field as been popular for few years at GRDF. In fact several ideas and Proof-of-Concepts were produced, but they remained stuck in the valley of Death

Step 2 - Technologies an Environments concepts

Technologies are numerous but the ecosystem suffers two fixations :
  - only wearable and mobile AR devices are considered whereas fixed are transportable have many industrial applications
  - AR technologies developpers focus on video, what about audio and other senses ?

GRDF has many environments for AR technologies : Design, Buildind, Maintenance... With our method we realise that previous ideas suffered a fixation on locating underground pipes and emergency interventions.

Step 3 - experts

I lead more than 40 interviews to collect knowledge. Usages are emerging. Relevant experts will participate the next stage workshop.

Step 4 - Innovative design workshop

Next week AR companies and GRDF employees will meet to finish concepts generation and propose consolidated concepts - concepts with feasible technologies and significant added values.

Step 5 - Deepenning condolidated concepts

We will further explore those concepts

Step 6 - Launch industrialisation

Some projects will be launched and a new exploration using "PEPITE" method will start if GRDF expectations are met.

Finaly, steering exloration through Technolgy and Environement invariants has already generated 16 new usages in gas distribution environments. Several could become consolidated concepts. The workshop will deepen them and propose new ones.

See you soon on innoveravecpepite.com !