Rethinking R&D for a digital world

Digital twins, AI, advanced data tools, and new forms of automation are helping companies test faster, narrow down promising solutions earlier, and bring products to market with greater confidence. What does this mean for your organization's R&D?

In this episode of Innovation Unpacked, Beatrice Lansbergen speaks with Joachim Fetzer, former chief technology and innovation officer at Marelli, one of the world's leading automotive suppliers. With a career spanning Bosch, Vector, Siemens, and Marelli, Joachim shares his perspective on how innovation in automotive is moving from long, traditional development cycles toward faster, more user-led experimentation.

GLP-1 medications are changing more than appetite. They are changing how people eat, what they crave, how much feels satisfying, and what they expect from the food and beverage brands they buy every day. In this episode of Innovation Unpacked, Beatrice Lansbergen talks with Becki Holmes, founder of FoodWit, a managed services consultancy that advises food and beverage companies on food safety, regulatory compliance, and bringing new products to market. Becki brings a unique mix of experience in dietetics, toxicology, pharmacology, food safety, and product development, giving her both a scientific and practical view of one of the biggest questions facing the food industry right now: what happens to snacks when appetites start to change?

Packaging has quietly become one of the hardest problems companies face today. New regulation, rising costs, and shifting consumer expectations are forcing a rethink of how products are designed, delivered, and experienced. In this episode of Innovation Unpacked, Beatrice Lansbergen sits down with Ron Sasine, a packaging leader with more than 30 years of experience across global manufacturing and retail. Together, they unpack what the industry is really up against and what comes next.