Looking Outside comes to you LIVE from the Dubai Future Forum, the largest gathering of futurists in the world.

In this conversation we talk about disruptive technology and transformative blue sky innovation with Airbus Senior Vice President and Head of Disruptive Research and Technology, Dr Grzegorz (Greg) Ombach.

Greg describes the mindset shift he experienced in leading innovative transformation across various industries, each with their own lifecycle - from Telecommunications with 1 to 2 year innovation cycles, then to Automotive where it moved out to 7-10 years and now in the Aerospace industry where he has 30-50 years in sight. As Greg considers future disruption, he is looking out to the next 50 years with a clear goal in mind. For Airbus, this takes the ambition of the company from accessible air travel, to sustainable air travel, and then to aerospace.

Greg describes how this focus on transformation through disruptive technology requires active monitoring and proactive imagining. At Airbus, this is enabled firstly by enlisting open and curious people called 'Scouts' whose role it is to spot new trends across varied regions. These people are inhouse engineers who have a finger on the pulse of the air travel and aerospace ecosystem in which they operate daily and are therefore in the best position to assess the viability of the trends for the business. Accompanying this is the center of research where the 'Blue Sky Thinkers' live. Their job is to come up with moonshot ideas that are turned into pilots.

Jo and Greg also discuss the need to look more broadly, assessing a product based on its ecosystem - what keeps the structure standing on the outside as well as the components that keep it relevant on the inside.

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If Greg was not a futurist, he would be sailing around the world. He gets energy and drive from exploring new places, from discovering new places and being able to adjust the course based on the conditions.

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Dr Grzegorz (Greg) Ombach, is Head of Disruptive Research & Technology, Senior Vice President at Airbus. Greg is passionate about managing technological innovation from an idea to broad market adoption. His combination of technology, leadership and commercial expertise together with a truly global outlook, having worked across Europe, the USA and China, puts him in a solid position to drive international market success for high-tech innovations. As a Head of Disruptive R&T, he shapes Airbus’s ability to be the global leader in innovation and future technologies across all Airbus divisions. He works very closely with all businesses and divisions globally. Before as Executive Vice President, Head of Battery Systems Business and Group Strategy and Innovation at Dräxlmaier, he was responsible for the strategy for the business and led the entire product commercialisation, from the initial concept to high volume production of cutting-edge technology in a premium market for the automotive sector. One example is the first high volume production of an 800V battery system for the Porsche Taycan. Earlier, he worked at Qualcomm as a Global Vice President and General Manager of a breakthrough automotive technology licensing business. He also has experience from Siemens VDO, Continental and Brose.

Greg holds a PhD in Electrical Engineering from the Silesian University of Technology, Poland and a Certificate in Global Management from INSEAD, The Business School for the World. He has also been awarded Guest Professorship at the Zhejiang University in China.

• Connect with Greg on LinkedIn
• Learn more about Airbus

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Looking Outside is a podcast dedicated to exploring fresh perspectives of familiar business topics. The show is hosted by its creator, Joanna Lepore, consumer goods innovator and futurist at McDonald's. Find out more at looking-outside.com.

Connect with Jo and join the Looking Outside community on LinkedIn.

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All views are that of the host and guests and don’t necessarily reflect those of their employers. Copyright 2023.

OBOY & PALA music features in Episode 47.