Technovation with Peter High (CIO, CTO, CDO, CXO Interviews)
Jun 18, 2026 · 32 min · 14 segments
How does a 177-year-old industrial company maintain startup speed while preparing for technologies that may not mature for another decade? In this episode of Technovation, Peter High speaks with…
Vishwanath HegadekatteGuest
Peter HighHostWe have begun to use AI and A-- and agentic AI for, for the foresighting process itself.
Uh, so that gives us a much better picture, uh, of the, of the mega trend.
Vish leads advanced innovation initiatives within Freudenberg Group, a nearly two hundred-year-old global technology company headquartered in Weinheim, Germany.
The company's business spans advanced materials, sealing technologies, filtration, mobility, medical, and industrial solutions.
Vish leads an organization inside Freudenberg known as Freudenberg Technology Innovation or FTI, an innovation team focused on emerging technologies, including AI, autonomous robotics, and advanced material design.
Despite operating within a large global enterprise, the group functions with speed and experimentation mindset of a startup, bringing together highly specialized experts from across the company to explore disruptive technologies and new business opportunities.
The team also collaborates closely with universities, national laboratories, and government agencies to gain early access to emerging technologies and research.
I look forward to speaking with Vish about what it takes to create a fast-moving innovation engine inside a global enterprise, how AI and robotics are reshaping industrial R&D, and how organizations can foster a culture of experimentation while still operating at scale.
Thank you very much, uh, uh, Peter, for a great introduction, and, and it's great to be here with you today.
Read the full transcript.
Create an account to read the whole episode, search across every transcript, and follow the shows you care about.
We have begun to use AI and A-- and agentic AI for, for the foresighting process itself.
Uh, so that gives us a much better picture, uh, of the, of the mega trend.
Vish leads advanced innovation initiatives within Freudenberg Group, a nearly two hundred-year-old global technology company headquartered in Weinheim, Germany.
The company's business spans advanced materials, sealing technologies, filtration, mobility, medical, and industrial solutions.
Vish leads an organization inside Freudenberg known as Freudenberg Technology Innovation or FTI, an innovation team focused on emerging technologies, including AI, autonomous robotics, and advanced material design.
Despite operating within a large global enterprise, the group functions with speed and experimentation mindset of a startup, bringing together highly specialized experts from across the company to explore disruptive technologies and new business opportunities.
The team also collaborates closely with universities, national laboratories, and government agencies to gain early access to emerging technologies and research.
I look forward to speaking with Vish about what it takes to create a fast-moving innovation engine inside a global enterprise, how AI and robotics are reshaping industrial R&D, and how organizations can foster a culture of experimentation while still operating at scale.
Thank you very much, uh, uh, Peter, for a great introduction, and, and it's great to be here with you today.
