Applied Innovation Round-Up — Q2 2021
Our London Applied Innovation Exchange brings you a summary of the incredible ways our teams are applying innovation. This quarter’s issue features everything from our retail store-of-the-future to democratising access to speech therapy with AI and much more, so let’s get started!
Our Applied Innovation Exchange brings together a high-impact team made up of designers, technologists, start-ups and more to move from problem statements to business outcomes.
Looking to apply and sustain innovation for your business? let’s talk
A message from our new joiner, Izabela
Welcome to this edition of the Applied Innovation Newsletter! Reporting for you today is Izabela, undercover Future of Technology (FOT) consultant in the AIE!
Having spent the past 3 months working with the team, I’ve had the opportunity to immerse myself in the culture, ways of working and learn about the great projects we’ve been delivering. Below the team have prepared a few snapshots for you to read as well — I promise, you’ll be inspired!
As for my time here, I’ve spent most of it helping out on the CornerShop which has meant doing all sorts of things, from driving robots remotely through the store and testing new technology, to working with account teams to get new clients to innovate with us. I’ve learned a lot, met some amazing people, and had great fun along the way — keen to see what the next 3 months will bring!
Capgemini announces CornerShop
Written by: Ed De Mott
Over the past few months, our London team has been hard at work collaborating with launch partners Sharpend and The Drum to build CornerShop, our retail store-of-the-future, opening soon in Shoreditch.
Finally, Capgemini, SharpEnd and The Drum Labs are excited to announce the opening of our store, which will explore the transformation of shopping and customer engagement in the ‘new normal’.
With the government outlining its roadmap out of lockdown, the CornerShop aims to open to the public in June. Be sure to watch this space to learn more about CornerShop and the future of retail.
In the meantime, if you’re still interested in finding out more.. read about the CornerShop’s coverage in Forbes Magazine. We’ve also had the team from BBC Click swing by for a visit, which you can see on BBC iPlayer or on YouTube.Solving for Speech Therapy with AI
Written by: Natalie Michalski
In 2020, the U.K’s submission SpeechFirst, led by Invent consultant Holly Brown won Capgemini’s global Tech4PositiveFutures Competition. By winning the competition SpeechFirst secured funding to develop an MVP ready to test in market. SpeechFirst is being created by a team of Innovation Consultants, UX Designers, Data Scientists and Engineers.
Since this time, our London Applied Innovation Exchange team has been collaborating closely with our Capgemini Invent team and key external partners such as AWS (Amazon Web Services) and academic institutions leading in speech therapy research, such as UCL (University College London), to build a prototype.
So what is SpeechFirst?
SpeechFirst is an AI-powered application that enables those living with a neurodisability to practice their speech therapy through therapist recommended exercises in the comfort of their own home. The application will provide real time feedback whilst giving the patient the power to learn in a way that suits them and their personal needs. SpeechFirst highlights the power of independence and autonomy for patients.
Why do we need SpeechFirst?
Approximately every 2 seconds someone in the world has a stroke. In the UK alone there are 1.5 million stroke survivors many of whom develop a speech and/or language impairment. Similar speech impairments in adults can also be caused by other neurodisabilities including Parkinson’s Disease, brain injury, cancer, degenerative neurological & motor disorders.
That means in the UK alone, 2.5 million people have a speech or language difficulty.
With limited resources in the existing healthcare system, SpeechFirst provides a means for stroke recovery patients to continue their speech therapy at home, at a more accessible cost that can be continued on a long-term basis for maximum results and recovery.
So what did we achieve in just 10 weeks?
So within just 10 weeks we designed, built and tested the core functionality of SpeechFirst. At it’s core SpeechFirst is a virtual speech and language therapy platform. Designed and built with three key design principles in mind:
Simple
Modern
Inclusive
The platform provides two unique experiences:
A web based portal for the Speech and Language therapist
A user app that can be accessed on both iPad and Android tabletsWe recognised from an early stage in our process that there are a number of communication difficulties for those living with a neurodisability. We uncovered that there are several apps on the market that address Aphasia but there is minimal support for those living with Dysarthria. So that is why we decided that our MVP will focus specifically on Dysarthria. Dysarthria is a weakness of the muscles you use to speak, affecting tongue, lips, mouth and breathing, which can affect articulation.
We designed 5 core exercises collaboratively with Speech and Language therapists that focused specifically on articulation as this is one a common problem area of those living with Dysarthria. We focused on imprecise consonant sounds, simple words and phrases. Our SpeechFirst platform has been built to be robust and adaptable ensuring that we building blocks to not only build upon that current exercises but to add more personalised features in the future.
Missed our Virtual Launch?
We launched the SpeechFirst MVP on Friday 26th of March. You can watch the event on YouTubeSo what’s next?
We’re about to kick off Phase 2 to build out the MVP even further and get it ready to text with a small group of users from UCL. Keep an eye out to hear what’s next!Capgemini awarded top “Platinum” rating by EcoVadis for its performance as a responsible and sustainable business
Paris, April 6, 2021 — For the second year in a row, Capgemini has been awarded the Platinum rating by EcoVadis for its overall performance as a responsible and sustainable business. Capgemini was ranked in the top 1% of companies assessed by EcoVadis in its industry.
Find out more at Capgemini’s website, hereSingapore AIE co-creates solutions to accelerate the future of recycling in Southeast Asia with Heng Hiap Industries
Heng Hiap Industries works with over 28,000 domestic plastic recyclers to buy and convert plastic scraps into high performance resin before selling it to clients that include top South Korean appliance manufacturers and Japanese automotive companies. However, the company was struggling to keep pace with the demand for quality recycled plastic as the collection processes were manual and complex, involving pen and paper transactions as well as in-person negotiation.
By digitally transforming its plastic recycling operations, Heng Hiap aims to collect more and better-quality plastic by extending its collection infrastructure beyond informal collectors and grassroots recyclers, all the way to the household level, through a simplified and user friendly collection process. In the long term, the plastic recycling company envisions creating a truly circular economy for plastics by helping its business-to-business (B2B) customers address the growing pressure from eco-conscious consumers for greater transparency and traceability.