Toshiba is a leading innovator in the technology industry, consistently advancing in consumer electronics, telecommunications, automotive components and more. But how does Toshiba identify new ideas for development?
The answer is two-fold: competitions and crowdsourcing platforms. Toshiba implements both tactics to ensure they can access the latest, creative ideas from their vast customer base.
One way that Toshiba looks for new projects and ideas is through its “ExploraVision” competition. This program encourages students from grades K–12 to put their engineering skills to work by coming up with innovative concepts that could become a reality in the future. Teams of two or three students submit their project proposals online and compete for awards and recognition. The winning projects are selected based on the criteria of creativity, originality, scientific accuracy, potential real-world impact, etc.
In addition to student projects, Toshiba also uses an online platform called IdeaIncite to collect ideas from anyone looking to submit a concept for a new or improved Toshiba product or service — be it related to customer service improvements or marketing strategies — for evaluation by a panel of experts who select the best ones for further development.
Finally, the Toshiba America Foundation Grants for Grades 6–12 provide funding to teachers with forward-thinking STEM education initiatives underway in their classrooms. These grants are awarded based on criteria such as project feasibility and budget appropriateness.
By implementing these different methods of selecting new ideas for development, Toshiba ensures that they remain at the top when it comes to innovation and technology advancements. Through careful selection processes featuring competition as well as crowd-sourced digital submissions, they can stay ahead of upcoming trends and develop products more quickly than ever before – ensuring they stay one step ahead of their competitors in this digital age we live in today.