Building an AI-Powered Connected Worker Platform Through Open Innovation

12

startups evaluated

90-day

pilot program launched

1

beachhead: forklift collision avoidance

A global communications company wanted to transform its networking technologies into an AI-powered Industry 4.0 solution — but lacked internal capabilities in AI, wearables, and cloud software, and its initial concept pointed toward consumer digital health, head-to-head with Apple and Google.

Qanopy reframed the opportunity around the company’s real advantage — communications that go farther and wider than Wi-Fi — and ran an open-innovation partner selection: roughly a dozen startups in wearable safety and AI analytics, each assessed on market strength and execution strength. The best partner was selected, the partnership structured through LOI and agreement, and a 90-day pilot launched.

The focus shifted to outdoor industrial applications, with forklift collision avoidance in shipyards and ports as the beachhead — reducing incidents, protecting workers, and establishing a scalable platform for broader worker-safety and operational applications.