Kimberly-Clark lab to spark innovation

As part of its global initiative to crowd-source digital solutions, Kimberly-Clark has announced the formation of its Digital Innovation Lab, or D’Lab, in Asia, as it launched the inaugural K-Challenge in the region. Singapore is the third global hub for D’Lab, which has offices in Chicago and Tel Aviv.

Making its Asia debut at Singapore’s InnovFest unBound 2016, the K-Challenge brought the start-up community together with Kimberly-Clark marketing professionals to identify potential “Tech for Life” solutions for the company and its well-known portfolio of brands such as Kleenex, Huggies, Depend and Kotex.

An open-source innovation model, D’Lab engages with investors, start-ups, technology companies, government and the academic community in creative hotbeds around the globe to bring new ideas to the consumer goods category.

Since introducing D’Lab in 2014, Kimberly-Clark has established a diverse innovation footprint across the United States, Israel and now Singapore. To date, the company has unveiled 17 pilots across its portfolio of brands and is currently evaluating more than 30 additional pilot projects around the world. An example is a partnership between Depend and California-based start-up Reactful to develop a real time reaction programme that maximises the online shopper’s digital body language.

“With D’Lab and K-Challenge, the world is our digital lab and we are tapping the very best open-source innovation,” said Achal Agarwal, President, Asia Pacific, Kimberly-Clark. “The unprecedented rate of consumer change driven by disruptive technologies calls for relentless innovation, especially in Asia where our product, digital and marketing innovations have fuelled our growth.Working with start-up partners enables us to meet the needs of Asian consumers in new and creative ways.”

At the kick off, 10 start-ups and technology companies presented their solutions to address business challenges from markets including Korea, Australia and Vietnam.Selected teams will collaborate with Kimberly-Clark brands on pilot programs in these countries.

View the Straits Times' report on D'Lab here.