Industrial innovation is moving beyond the traditional model of developing a technology and then handing it over to the next team. According to Preetham Yalla, Head of Corporate Technology Center (R&D) at ABB Global Industries and Services Private Limited (GISPL), the next phase of industrial innovation will depend on how effectively research, R&D, engineering and digital teams work together.

ABB GISPL recently hosted the sixth edition of the global ABB Accelerator 2026 that brought together use-case teams, technology partners, startups, universities, business leaders and technical experts around practical business and customer challenges. The initiative highlighted how Research, Business R&D, Engineering and Digital capabilities can work together as one connected innovation system.

Speaking about the learnings from ABB Accelerator 2026, Yalla said “The biggest opportunity lies in breaking down the boundaries between these functions and bringing them together around real business and customer challenges”.

Yalla explained that each function has a distinct role. Research explores emerging technologies and future possibilities, while Business R&D converts promising ideas into scalable products and solutions. Engineering then applies these technologies to real customer environments, while digital technologies such as AI, analytics, automation and digital twins help accelerate the entire process.

“The key is to ensure these capabilities do not operate in isolation. Connecting them can shorten the journey from an early-stage idea to a practical customer solution,” he said.

Another important shift is the growing need for professionals who understand multiple disciplines. Yalla highlighted how researchers are increasingly working with AI, engineers are using data analytics, and product developers are gaining a deeper understanding of customer operations.

The Rise of the Hybrid Innovator

This, he said, is creating a new category of “hybrid innovators” who can work across traditional organisational boundaries and turn combined expertise into business impact. “The future will not belong only to deep specialists or broad generalists. It will belong to people and teams that can move across boundaries and turn connected knowledge into impact,” Yalla said.

The larger takeaway from ABB Accelerator 2026, he said, is that innovation cannot be owned by a single function. Its real value emerges when discovery, development, execution and digital intelligence work together to solve business and customer problems.

ABB GISPL India is well positioned because Corporate Research, Business R&D, Operations Center Engineering and Digital and AI capabilities come together at its ABB Innovation Center in Bengaluru. This proximity can reduce the distance between research, product development, project execution and customer outcomes.