On 20th November, we brought together leaders from multiple sectors for a candid roundtable, exploring real innovation challenges, shared patterns and opportunities 'beyond the hype'.
Kicking off at 9am sharp, last Thursday, we hosted our first Innovation Breakfast of the series at The Forge in Bristol. What began as a short presentation quickly turned into something much more valuable: a genuine cross-industry roundtable where leaders compared challenges, shared insights and explored the real tensions shaping innovation today.
The session followed Chatham House Rules but we can say this: the room brought together an unusually diverse mix of perspectives. From scientific research and semiconductor innovation to advanced engineering, defence, media, public sector policy and cutting-edge tech businesses, we had leaders at the table who rarely get the chance to discuss their work side by side.
In the room, we had a mix of tasty pastries, and talented individuals - from product leaders and directors to innovation managers, the range of experience in the group certainly shaped the depth and quality of the discussion throughout the morning.
We opened by acknowledging a simple truth: although everyone around the table works in different sectors, the challenges they face are often surprisingly similar. Most innovation teams are solving problems in isolation, with limited spaces to compare approaches or sense-check assumptions. The aim of the breakfast was to create exactly that type of space.
Innovation only matters when it delivers real business value. It is not about chasing the newest tool or latest trend but about impact. At New Icon, we design and build the future but more importantly, we help organisations build the right future for their customers. That mindset set the tone for the conversation.
We began with a quote that set the stage:
“Most innovation dies in the proof-of-concept graveyard. 90% of PoCs never make it to production… and 80% probably shouldn’t have started.”
Not because the ideas are bad but because structural blockers get in the way. Data quality, IT governance and tech-first thinking continue to stall promising initiatives. Teams often see impressive prototypes or early demos but struggle to turn them into scalable, durable opportunities.
We talked about something we see across almost every project: the technology is no longer the difficult part. With modern tools, AI models, prototypes and automation becoming easier to build, the real challenge is everything surrounding the tech. Defining the right problem. Preparing usable data. Aligning governance. Integrating with existing systems. Ensuring it can scale into production.
That is where innovation succeeds or fails.
We then opened the floor with a simple question:
“Where, in your world, are you still guessing?”
Six areas framed the discussion: Customer Experience, Product and Services, Operations, Data and Insight, Workforce and Enablement, and New Business Models. What happened next set the tone for the rest of the event. Rather than moving on with the presentation, the group naturally began unpacking each lens in depth. Within minutes, the session shifted into a true roundtable.
Below are five of the strongest themes that emerged directly from the discussion.
Leaders spoke about designing products and services against a backdrop of geopolitical tension, fragile supply chains and fast-shifting regulatory environments. Much of our current infrastructure still assumes stability. The reality has changed.
We are still architecting systems for a predictable world but that world has already moved on.
This shaped conversations around sovereign computing, data locality, resilience, cyber risk and the vulnerabilities caused by globalised supply chains.
Across engineering, scientific research and product development, the same tension kept coming up. Software can evolve rapidly. Hardware is tied to physical constraints. Power, heat, cabling, long-life components, and materials procured years in advance all limit how fast systems can evolve.
One attendee described situations where software capability had to be turned off simply because the hardware could not support it.
The group aligned strongly around the idea that the future depends on modular hardware paired with intelligent, adaptable software.
The conversation around AI quickly moved away from hype and towards the fundamentals. People raised concerns about data provenance, ethical collection, ownership and the reluctance many organisations feel when it comes to sharing or governing data responsibly. In the public sector especially, risk aversion still shapes much of the decision-making.
A recurring point was that organisations are collecting enormous amounts of data but using very little of it effectively. The challenge is not quantity but clarity and purpose.
To build trust in AI, we need business models and governance approaches that make data use feel transparent, fair and valuable.
Leaders repeatedly stressed that AI will not rescue unclear processes, messy data or misaligned teams. In many cases, it makes existing problems more visible and more expensive.
One comment resonated strongly across the room:
“New technology plus old organisation equals an expensive old organisation.”
Before layering in AI, teams need clarity, alignment and well-designed workflows. Only then can the technology create real value.
This was one of the most dynamic parts of the discussion. Experienced professionals are using AI to accelerate work they already understand, from contract analysis to early stage prototyping. But there is concern about what happens when people leap straight to AI-assisted outputs without ever learning the underlying skills.
In safety-critical and research-driven environments, that lack of intuition can be dangerous. The group talked about the difference between AI literacy and what they called AI intuition: the ability to judge when a system is producing something reliable and when it is confidently wrong.
This has real implications for workforce development, training and long-term knowledge transfer.
What was designed as a short introduction evolved into a wide-ranging, high-value discussion about the realities of innovation today. People shared barriers, opportunities, frustrations and practical perspectives that rarely get voiced outside their own organisations.
By the end, the session felt less like a presentation and more like a group of leading innovators comparing notes from opposite ends of the same challenges. It showed just how valuable it is to bring people together across sectors, with no agenda other than learning from one another.
It also made something very clear. This conversation should continue.
We are already planning the next Innovation Breakfast, and several themes raised in the room deserve a deeper dive. If you would like to be involved or want to explore any of the topics discussed, stay tuned for details or reach out directly.
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