Cross-Industry Innovation

by. Anne Legg

Drones. 3-D printing. You’ve probably seen or heard about these major innovations in news stories over the past year.

Drones are unmanned aerial vehicles controlled by specialized pilots on the ground; they’re typically used in remote or dangerous environments. 3-D printing is a revolution to the printing process that has enabled multidimensional output, making rapid prototyping possible for everything from cars to prosthetic limbs.

What could they possibly have to do with the credit union industry?

Like credit unions, these innovations grew from the goals of doing more and improving lives. To reach those goals, the developers of these capabilities borrowed ideas from other industries and found ways to apply existing ideas in new ways in order to solve their own industry-specific challenges.

Credit unions can learn from the thought processes that led to the development of drones and 3-D printing. By looking at innovation in other industries, you might find more ideas to borrow than you’d expect. Get the scoop by reading our article in this month’s CU Insight.

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