Launched Venture: Studio X Powered by Shell
Launched by Shell and supported by BCG Digital Ventures, Studio X is an open innovation studio creating products that reimagine the future of work in energy exploration
With emerging technologies and tools increasing efficiency, speed, and collaboration, companies across all sectors are considering how to embrace the future of work.
In order to meet this challenge, Shell worked with DV to launch Studio X, an open innovation studio that seeks to nurture new ideas and solve the biggest problems in energy exploration. We caught up with DV’s Mauhan M. Zonoozy to find out more about open innovation and Studio X.
DV: What is Studio X?
Mauhan M. Zonoozy: Studio X is Shell Exploration’s global innovation studio. We’re a group of designers, developers, scientists, and entrepreneurs focused on launching products that reimagine the future of work in exploration.
Shell incubated Studio X alongside DV in hopes of building a new engine for fresh perspectives and ideas. We also developed the ability to stand up and launch products quickly, as demonstrated by our first three products, which are live today: Xeek, XCover, and SixLab.
DV: How does Studio X address the future of exploration?
Mauhan M. Zonoozy: Exploration workflows have remained relatively unchanged for the past few decades. Studio X was created to leverage new ways of working, from agile methodologies to crowdsourcing solutions, as well as cutting-edge technologies, from Edge Computing to Machine Learning, to design a more efficient, smarter, and technologically advanced approach to exploration.
DV: What was the process in building Studio X? Who was involved, and what made the team unique?
Mauhan M. Zonoozy: This was essentially four incubations in one— we stood up an innovation vehicle and then also launched the first three ventures, all with one team over one year.
We collaborated globally, spanning three DV offices and working closely with BCG and Shell, as well as working with an international group of over a thousand users on our platforms communities.
DV brought deep expertise in emerging technologies to play, including Cloud, Machine Learning, Virtual Machines, Data Science as well as novel business model applications, including gig economies, remote work, crowdsourcing, and startup investment.
DV: What is an open innovation studio? How is Studio X different from a traditional incubator or an accelerator?
Mauhan M. Zonoozy: What makes Studio X different from traditional R&D is our “open innovation” approach, meaning that each product we launch has an element of community or ecosystem involvement. For example, we’re empowering and guiding entrepreneurs and startups through our corporate incubator, SixLab, connecting a distributed network of global talent with remote work opportunities through our geoscience talent marketplace, XCover, and crowdsourcing data science and machine learning solutions on Xeek.
DV: What is Open Exploration?
Mauhan M. Zonoozy: “Open Exploration” is a term we coined to describe our unique brand of “Open Innovation.” Shell truly adopted the mentality of collaborative, cross-disciplinary innovation, and is providing Studio X and our community of users access to unrivaled resources and data to develop new ideas and solutions.
Our exploration studio breaks down the walls and silos of traditional R&D. We empower collaborative teams of scientists by opening and sharing Shell’s expertise and resources to create fresh perspectives and ideas. This is how we unlock innovation and launch products that could transform exploration. Studio X is built to provide industry-wide solutions, platforms and communities that reimagine the future of work in exploration as a whole.
DV: What are the first products launched through Studio X?
Mauhan M. Zonoozy: Studio X will launch with an initial three products focused on exploration and discovery, including Xeek, XCover, and SixLab.
Xeek is the home for crowdsourcing revolutionary geoscience ideas. Xeek unites data scientists and geoscientists from all over the world in a community dedicated to tackling complex problems with novel tech.
XCover is a global talent network for virtual exploration projects, which is super relevant given today’s work-from-home climate. XCover matches specialized geoscience talent to a variety of rewarding exploration projects run from state-of-the-art virtual workstations, enabling them to execute projects from anywhere in the world at any time.
SixLab is a no-strings attached incubator, powered by Shell, that provides exploration entrepreneurs with access to world-class mentorship, resources, and facilities to help shape the future of energy. Currently, we’re running SixLab virtually but will afford startups access to our beautiful global studio spaces in the future.
We couldn’t be more excited about our portfolio of open innovation products, and about Studio X’s potential to reimagine the future of exploration.
