Innovation and Creativity

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Contents
Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 1

Innovative Product by ZapGo .......................................................................................................... 1

Organisational Change in ZapGo.................................................................................................... 2

Obstacles Faced by ZapGo ............................................................................................................. 3

How ZapGo Mitigate Change Resistance ....................................................................................... 4

Criticism Faced by ZapGo .............................................................................................................. 5

Innovative ZapGo Leadership......................................................................................................... 6

Sustainable Strategies by ZapGo .................................................................................................... 7

Conclusion ...................................................................................................................................... 8
INNOVATION AND CREATIVITY 1

Introduction
The rapid increase in globalization within markets and the expansion of worldwide value chains
focused on the significance of competitiveness in businesses along with innovation and creativity
to achieve a competitive advantage. However, for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), there is
a clear and significant relationship between competitiveness and innovation in offered products
and services.ZapGo Ltd also known as "ZapGo" is a technology based company headquartered
in the United Kingdom which has produced a quicker, more friendly, cleaner solution to the Li-
ion batteries found today in a variety of items, like cell phones, tablets, electric vehicles, and
wireless power tools (Voller et al., 2017).

Creativity and innovation in companies contribute to attaining better performance that leads to the
overall success of the organisation. As being the most critical factor in problem-solving, modern
organisations such as ZapGo prefer "intelligence" as the most important factor. This preference
may have been grown out of ease instead of best practices. In the UK based University of
Oxford, ZapGo was created in 2013, to make innovative batteries and power products for the
contemporary world. Through the years from its foundation till now, the company has reached $20
million and has been raising another $30 million to create the next patented innovation
and technology generation. The workforce of the company is comprised of 22 individuals
including six Ph.D.’s in the field of material sciences, electronics, and chemistry (Evans et al.,
2019).

The innovative aim of ZapGo is to charge wireless products such as mobile phones, drills, cleaners,
hair straighteners within seconds. Moreover, the products that operate on the electricity and
without power they operateas if they are connected with electric power. The company specially
designed this innovative idea for electric vehicles such as cars that charge like the same time spend
to fill a petroltank. The company also enablesand allow the national grid to mitigate the rapidly
increasing demand foran electric vehicle that chargesfasterthan the traditional ones (ZapGo, 2020).

Innovative Product by ZapGo

ZapGo Ltd has appeared in several published articles showcasing its innovative technology such
as the Carbon-Ion platform, which provides a possible super-fast solution of charging of electric
vehicles (EV) including smartphones, and also a new power grid storage alternative. ZapGo has
created an innovative system of storing energy specially constructed to improve and buffer the
INNOVATION AND CREATIVITY 2

system so that ultra-fast charging points can function efficiently without updating
the infrastructure of the grid (Liu et al., 2016).

The lead article namely The Engineer, "Staying in charge: super-and super-capacitors and hybrid
energy storage," examines how the business is developing its technology as an option of super-
fast energy storage charging, summarizes the special attributes of C-Ion and explains how it
might reduce the time needed for EVs recharging. The ZapGo approach does not utilize lithium
or cobalt and therefore comprises of no moving parts such that orders of magnitude can react
quicker in comparison to other types of grid storage. Thus, this makes the technology of ZapGo
a perfect backup for high-resilient data center, frequency management, and also grid balancing,
monitoring of the rate of ramp and peak shaving, the firming of renewable capacity, black start
including control of power factor and applications of the micro-grid.

To attain standardized CCS's goals with ultra-high-power direct current(DC) charging for the full
range segments of EV, extreme needs are generated on the capacities of electrical grid-edge that
need to be mitigated. Furthermore, this obstacle can be accomplished through buffers of energy
storage, including a storage solution kit that contains ZapGo's cells of Carbon-Ion(C-Ion®). The
charger of quite high-rate DC could then be attached to the C-Ion banks and run at 350kW,
450kW or even 1000kW without enhancing the connections of the grid and preventing higher
running costs. Increased instability in distributed electricity generation allows utilities to retain
stability in balancing controllable loads (such as EV charging) and preserving circuit voltage and
frequency delivery (Cao et al., 2016). This non-Lithium grid-scale storage could offer increased
stability and balancing facilities at the same time.

Organisational Change in ZapGo

As core factors of economic growth, ZapGo's successful business innovations and creative
practices are increasingly acknowledged. In different times and different locations, innovation
comes in different forms from different organisations. It can lead to innovative growth-driven
business developments, from the vision of developing new products, business practices, or
procedures to the recognition mechanism for employees to innovate, as easy as freedom of
expression and consideration of various viewpoints (Yilmaz and Ceran, 2017). For instance,
taking the situation of ZapGo, the company shifts the course and function of the business,
INNOVATION AND CREATIVITY 3

redefining the human value within the company, and benefiting from the execution of the plan
are the fundamental key factors to the success of the company (ZapGo, 2020).

Incremental changes to organisations have been brought on by innovations and creativity. Such
modifications were adaptive instead of structural. Typically, organisational transitions are
painful, these changes involve giving up familiar ways of doing business, and establishing ways
to communicate with associates, clients, and the parent organisation. For thispurpose, ZapGo is
formulating an organisational model that supports the organisation while manufacturing
innovative products (Ringberg,Reihlen and Rydén, 2019).For the models to be implemented
within the organisation a lot of testing might take place ZapGo like most of the organisations
might choose to adopt re-engineering the organisation and second-order learning (ZapGo, 2020).
Re-engineering is a term that promotes such strategies as work teams-training workers in various
capabilities so that the employees can perform more than a single type of work with autonomy.It
involves more decision-making control as far downward in the company as possible (Novikov et
al., 2016).

The changed business model of ZapGo for the commercial viability of its C-Ion® innovation is
to collaborate with leading suppliers around a variety of vertical industries, such as electrical
power equipment, wireless cleaners, gadgets, toys, mobile phones, shipping, and also the military
types of equipment, who might specifically implement the innovation of the firm into the
products. Producers will then promote and distribute the goods according to their brands, but
with the innovation of ZapGo as the main selling point, identical to the Intel Inside® project
(Ramdani, Binsaif, and Boukrami, 2019).The organisation claims that this approach not only
shortens the trailing twelve months (TTM) period but also helps it to leverage the stakeholders'
capital for its brands' marketing through penetration strategies. Therefore, ZapGo has no
intention to directly market the C-Ion® cell innovative technology to consumers (ZapGo, 2020).

Obstacles Faced by ZapGo

ZapGo plans to minimise production costs by developing the C-Ion® cells in such a manner that
the firm can employ the current supply chain and readily available materials of battery grade.
Moreover, ZapGo's C-Ion® cells can be produced using current industrial standard
machines associated with manufacturing and production lines designed for Li-ion cells, allowing
high productivity and consistency improvements without the requirement to build or install lines
INNOVATION AND CREATIVITY 4

of new production. The opportunity to utilize current manufacturing lines allows ZapGo to
rapidly expand production and employ the production facilities already in place in several
locations, in particular, to keep C-Ion® price points consistent with the technology of Li-ion and
to accelerate time on the market (TTM) (Xie et al., 2018). The corporate strategy of ZapGo’s for
the commercialization of its technology related to C-Ion® is to work with leading manufacturers
and brand-based businesses throughout a variety of vertical industries.For instance,electric power
equipment, cordless cleaners, games, cell phones, travel, and the military which may specifically
integrate the technologies of the business into their goods. Manufacturers would then
commercialize and market products in their brands, however with the technology of ZapGo as a
primary selling point similar to the Intel Inside® project (Liu, Zhu and Cui, 2019. The
Organisation claims that this approach not only reduces TTM but also helps it to use the tools of
its partners for the promotion and distribution of its goods. As such, ZapGo has no intentions to
market the technology of C-Ion® cell directly to the user. In addition, collaboration is a central
element of creativity. ZapGo is facing a lack of collaboration among its employees. Although
many organisations recognize the value of cooperation internally, collaboration externally can be
as necessary. Innovation networks tie together business partners, consumers, and even rivals to
accelerate innovation in the business (ZapGo, 2020).

How ZapGo Mitigate Change Resistance

Innovation is a deliberate change, within the context of which the functional innovation produced
continues to the point that the need for it is entirely fulfilled. From the creation of an innovative
concept to its commercialization, the mechanism of the invention is a complex of associated
phenomena (Jones and Van de Ven, 2016). A managing process by ZapGo is defined by
uncertainty and variability and is a stochastic system. ZapGo as an innovative manufacturer has
to cope with the technical framework of economics and the hierarchical environment change as
technological patterns shift (ZapGo. 2020).

This results for ZapGo in the existence of a heterogeneous institutional climate and the
uncertainty of the actions of economic entities. The stability mechanism which can neutralize the
incentives for innovation must be activated by the shift in technical mechanisms in the market
structure.It is important to note that the ZapGo innovative resistance is intrinsic (ZapGo, 2020).
Such that, activated by internal variables economic, social, psychological, and institutional. It
INNOVATION AND CREATIVITY 5

should be remembered, though that the organisation exists in an external world where it can be
affected by exogenous forces. Legitimate democratic, technical, cultural, industrial, and
administrative processes are influenced by independent factors.

Criticism Faced by ZapGo

The unpredictability and variability of the quarterly operating results related to the company or
other operating metrics could lead to the failure of ZapGo to meet its standards or those of any
analysts that are responsible for covering the company or investors regarding sales or other
results of operations for a specific amount of time. As per the critics, if, for these or several other
purposes, ZapGo is unable to achieve or surpass those standards, its stock's market price could
collapse significantly and the firm could undergo expensive litigation, particularly class action
lawsuits for securities (Choi and Pritchard, 2016).

The ZapGo product's production is complicated and expensive, and the business usually
produces many products in the market. Critics say that due to its complexity, ZapGo sometimes
faces and could face delays in the future in the production and delivery of new and upgraded
products. Issues in the ZapGo product's nature or quality may even provide a material adverse
effect on the ZapGo brand's reputation, material effect on its company, opportunities, financial
situation, and the performance of its activities. The critics further elaborate that unexpected
product development challenges could also redirect considerable research and development
funding, which could hinder ZapGo's capacity to produce new products and improve current
products, and could dramatically boost costs of the company (Lee et al., 2019). According to the
critics, if the introductions of a new or improved product are postponed or not effective, ZapGo
would not be prepared to produce an adequate return, if any on its activities related to research
and development, and the company's market, opportunities, financial position, and operating
results may be greatly negatively impacted.

In addition, the critics state that the stock rotation rights and price security is restricted by ZapGo
to its dealers. If the Company receives higher returns from retailers or consumers in large
amounts of its assets, ZapGo's market, opportunities, financial position, and operating results
could be adversely affected. Furthermore, any negative ads relating to the perceived quality and
protection of the Company's goods may also have an impact on its reputation and substantially
INNOVATION AND CREATIVITY 6

reduce the market for its products and have a material adverse effect on business, expectations,
financial conditions, and the performance of its operations (Qin and Men, 2019).

Innovative ZapGo Leadership

At various points of the supply chain, the skills required to innovate and export often vary. In the
early, developmental stages of an invention program, for instance, technical or innovative
employees may play an important role, but marketing leadership is likely to be more relevant in
the context of commercialization. There are also indications that the range of leadership qualities
required to enter innovative markets is distinct from those required for export markets to survive.
Commercial and administrative expertise makes businesses, but after the innovation challenge is
over, it is the quality of management training that has a significantly positive impact rather than
expertise. A need for “ambidextrous leadership” that shifts from disruptive leadership to more
often represents differing capability requirements (Schoemaker, Heaton and Teece, 2018).

The chief executive officer (CEO) Mr. Voller is a seasoned corporate leader and a respected
authority in the area of technology for energy storage. The CEO of ZapGo is also the inventor of
Carbon-Ion and founder of ZapGo to develop four key concepts for the next age of energy
storage products built on this innovative platform. The innovation is comprised of quicker
charging, stronger, more reliable, and more sustainable than traditional lithium batteries. In
conception, architecture, then into manufacturing, the CEO has brought many technology firms
into development. The CEO introduced the first "hydrogen fuel cell" product called (CE) and
was the co-founder of "Cella Energy", a hydrogen storage firm. At IBM, he formerly operated a
$1 billion business unit. The CEO is a graduate of the Electrical and Electronics Engineers
Institute (IEEE) (ZapGo, 2020).

As innovation initiatives move closer to the market is solely dependent on transactional

leadership. ZapGo leaders also play a vital role in ensuring the successful participation of
workers in innovation and exports. Suggestive evidence is given that good people team and
management growth and leadership will play an important role in determining the success of
both innovation and manufacturing initiatives and thereby contribute significantly to the success
of ZapGo (Adetona, Ige and Salawu, 2020). Globalizing economies and increasingly open
innovation structures also face major obstacles for ZapGo in terms of capabilities and human
resource management. This highlights the value of the skilled workforce ecosystem and
INNOVATION AND CREATIVITY 7

associated regulatory, technical intellectual, and industrial relations frameworks for

ZapGo innovations. However, collaboration or joint work for creativity or export often gives
ZapGo the chance of accessing global expertise and thereby addressing internal capacity
limitations (ZapGo, 2020).

SustainableStrategies by ZapGo
To be a creative and innovative manufacturer, adaptable and future-oriented, ZapGo as
a battery manufacturer along with the suppliers and stakeholders needs a sustainability
policy that can provide them with amazing technology (Game et al., 2018). An integrative,
Intelligence-based solution can enable ZapGo to manage its waste reduction. ZapGo can further
optimise production quality and competitiveness in conjunction with an advanced warehouse
infrastructure, assisted by robotic applications. At the very same level, battery cell efficiency
could be sustainably protected by a development and lifecycle control strategy, covering the
efficiency of the battery and its life. Moreover, it can also be assisted by an in-line monitoring
system. All measures, from manufacturing through to usage and recycling, must always be taken
into account in this approach. ZapGo is taking an important initiative towards sustainable plant
and battery manufacturing for the future by introducing these innovative and
sustainable technologies. The worldwide super-capacitor industry, estimated at $1.2 billion
during 2014, is expected to rise by 22.3 percent to around $7.4 billion by 2023 (Meng et al.,
2018). The key factor of development for the industry of global super-capacitor is the current
green movement aimed at minimising the use of fossil fuels leading to the dangerous effects of
increasing emissions of carbon and the subsequent policy of several governments to limit the
emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) through promoting renewable energy use. Graphene seems to
be the thinnest identified compound, that is thick at one atom, but still extremely solid (such as
200 times stronger in comparison to steel). Graphene is also an excellent conductor of heat and
electricity. Graphene is also a highly complex substance that can be mixed with other materials
(such as with gases including metals) to create varying substances with different superior
characteristics (Wang et al., 2020). Furthermore, it is known to be ecologically responsible and
renewable, since in nature the carbon is abundant and is present in the human body. The
materials based on graphene are favorable for the use in super-capacitors including certain
devices related to energy storage because of these four main attributes: (1) the surface area is
extremely tunable (2) excellent electrical conductivity (3) great stability of chemical and (4)
INNOVATION AND CREATIVITY 8

outstanding behaviour mechanics. The key goal of the new energy unit of Repsol is to recognize
prospects and market projects in areas like biofuels, renewable energy production, and
sustainable transport (Yu et al., 2017).

Conclusion
Innovation and creativity in the prevailing globalized business environment are essential to attain
a competitive advantage. Innovation by ZapGo is state of the art technological revolution that
made electronic product to work more efficiently within less time. On the other hand,
sustainability is also a critical aspect that needs to be focused on while manufacturing innovative
products that could damage the ecosystem. In this regard, ZapGo has produced a battery that
could be more sustainable as compared to traditional batteries, the innovative battery by ZapGo
could be recycled easily.The company has also faced various organisational changes to support
the innovative process, in this regard ZapGo has shifted its organisational structure to growth
driven business structure.Although battery producers such as ZapGo need to conform to the
continuous state of transition throughout the e-mobility industry. To meet evolving
specifications, the company needs manufacturing lines that could be modified more rapidly and
efficiently than ever. Innovative concepts that incorporate artificial intelligence, sensing, power,
protection, and automation into a unified automation framework will help satisfy both quality of
the product and the predictive maintenance needs of consumers while meeting major
sustainability goals. Furthermore, support for advanced battery cell testing solutions, and also
electrode or battery panel production solutions, will help simplify testing and to provide end-to-
end transparency over the battery cell lifetime.
INNOVATION AND CREATIVITY 9

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