The challenges with problem solving today

We have come a long way in how we approach problem solving today. Organisations across the globe are actively investing in new customer centric capabilities, culture and agility to drive better solutions to market at the speed of nimble startups. 

Whilst these are great leaps towards delivering the right kind of value at the speed customers desire, such innovation approaches simply fail to address the big-picture challenges at hand. 

Systemic issues, grand challenges and wicked problems cannot be solved by applying existing problem-solution innovation approaches aimed at serving unmet market needs and customer problems.
Wicked problems reside across the planet in vast ecosystems, international borders and environments. They exist within and across diverse stakeholders groups. They do not fit neatly into target market segments.

At present, we simply lack the right practical tools, methods and repeatable approaches to enable us to solve the grand challenges and wicked problems ahead.

Our approach to innovation must adapt and evolve to deal with unprecedented levels of complexity, uncertainty and ambiguity in solving our collective problems. This is where Wicked Acceleration Labs comes in.

It's time for better approaches to complex problems

The world has urgent challenges. Solutions? Not so much. Global responses to humanity’s complex problems – the ongoing pandemic, global health challenges, retreating biodiversity, CO2 emissions, climate change, and plastic pollution – have been slow and ineffective, proving that governments can’t do it alone and neither can private entities.
Tied to the Immediate
Dominant innovation heuristics such as the Lean Startup method, Agile Development and Design Thinking fall short. While excelling in developing solutions to customer-centric challenges, they’re inevitably tied to immediate problems.
Iterative not Radical
The result tends to be lots of iterative solutions with fast validation – not the radical, architectural, moonshot innovations wicked problems demand.

We are Adaptive & Collaborative

To solve these wicked problems in time, we need adaptive, collaborative actions involving multiple stakeholders to develop radical new solutions – spanning international borders, industries, governments and policies – that benefit everyone.

What is a Wicked Problem?

A wicked problem is a significant, systemic problem that touches a wide range of audiences. They are difficult to resolve because of complex systemic interdependencies that may give rise to unintended outcomes. Acceleration of answers to wicked problems requires simultaneous orchestration of solutions while preparing the ground for their acceptance among multiple, hierarchically independent stakeholders.

Purpose with profit

Our objective is to address wicked problems by igniting and sustaining economic renewal through circular economy innovation, moonshot design and orchestration, corporate - new venture engagement and deep tech acceleration.

Simply get in touch and start a discussion!

If you have a wicked problem to solve, a shift to circular economy, a complex ecosystem to navigate, a sustainability challenge or simply wish to discuss how you can get involved as a potential collaboration partner, then get in touch so we can explore next possible steps.

Who we are

Our team of experts bringing their wealth of skills and expertise from a wide range of background.
Executive Education and Knowledge Exchange Lead at Royal College of Art

Nick de Leon

Executive Education and Knowledge Exchange Lead
royal college of art

Erkko Autio

Chair in Technology Transfer and Entrepreneurship
Imperial college london
Nicolas Rebolledo Service Design

Nicolas Rebolledo

Design for Policy Platform Leader
royal college of art

Cristobal Garcia Herrera

Research associate & Corporate Acceleration Lead
imperial college business school

Mike Pinder

Honorary Practice Fellow and Lecturer
imperial college business school

Christopher L Tucci

Professor of Digital Strategy and Innovation
imperial college business school
John Makepeace Service Design research associate

John Makepeace

Service Design Research associate
royal college of art
Mattia Gobbo Service Designer

Mattia Gobbo

Service Design Research associate
royal college of art
Contact us