S10E5 - How Open Innovation Fueled Evoqua's Resurrection - a podcast by Antoine Walter
from 2023-09-14T03:00
with ๐๏ธ Ann Perreault - Vice President for Strategic Marketing & Growth at Evoqua Water Technologiesย
with ๐๏ธ Joshua Griffis - Director of Technology & Innovation at Evoqua Water Technologiesย
๐ง Evoqua is a global leader in helping municipalities and industrial customers protect and improve the world's most fundamental natural resource: water
What we covered:
๐ง How net water positivity is the new gold standard, making a splash beyond just offsetting usage to actively generating more water.ย
๐ค Why strategic IP development safeguards the partnerships Evoqua is building in the industry, making it more than just a game of patents.ย
๐ What the real playbook behind Evoqua's acquisitions reveals: it's not just R&D expenditure but a broader, synergistic growth strategy.ย
๐ค How synergy supercharges tech: Joshua and Ann discuss that when two technologies collide, they often create something greater than their individual parts.ย
๐ฏ What every water business needs to grasp: Customer needs are like shifting sands, and understanding emerging trends and problems is key to hitting the target, says Ann.ย
๐ Why mergers and acquisitions aren't just Wall Street buzzwords: M&A is woven into Evoqua's strategy as a critical channel for forging significant partnerships, according to both interviewees.ย
๐ How Evoqua's footprint is more global than you think: Contrary to popular belief, Ann implies Evoqua's global presence is often underestimated.ย
๐ Why profitability is not an end but a means for Evoqua, enabling them to engage in ambitious, industry-shaping initiatives.ย
๐ก How innovation is the new black: Ann emphasizes that sustainability isn't a sideshow; it's the main act, embedded at the core of impactful innovations.ย
๐ฏ Why "de-risking" is your new buzzword: Both speakers agree that helping companies "de-risk" by doing the heavy lifting on feasibility and validation can fast-track adoption.ย
๐ค What failing fast really means at Evoqua: If you're not failing, you're not learningโthis mantra isn't just for startups; it's infiltrating the big players too.ย
๐ How the Product Vitality Index is your new KPI: Forget conventional metrics; Ann suggests that measuring where your revenue comes from in terms of innovation investment is where the future lies.ย
๐ฏ How customer insights aren't a one-and-done deal: Diving deep to truly understand customer problems can reveal the nuanced layers beneath.ย
๐ Why location flexibility enriches talent pools: restricting staff to physical locations is yesterday's news, says Perreault, when a world of talent is just a Zoom call away.ย
๐ What scaling your operation really takes: The journey of scaling a function often throws more curveballs than you initially thought.ย
๐ฟ Why sustainability is more than a buzzword: it's about achieving homeostasis with your environment for the long haul, not just slapping a green label on things.
๐ฅ ... and of course, we concluded with the ๐ง๐๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐๐ง๐ ๐ฆ๐ช๐๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐จ ๐ฅ
๐ Have a look at Evoqua's websiteย
๐ Come say hi to Ann on Linkedinย
๐ Then make sure to also connect with Joshua on Linkedin
โก๏ธ Check out the entire article on how Evoqua applies Open Innovationย
โก๏ธ Reach out to me: antoine@dww.showย
Further episodes of (don't) Waste Water!
Further podcasts by Antoine Walter
Website of Antoine Walter