Event Highlight: Corporate Innovation Center Connect
At the intersection of business and breakthrough ideas in Atlanta, the Corporate Innovation Center's Connect series ensures that momentum doesn’t stay siloed. Spearheaded by Mikey DiCenso, Innovation Ecosystem Relationship Manager at Collaborative Real Estate, the event series brings together some of the region’s top corporate innovation centers to collaborate, learn, and grow stronger together.
Each session in the series is more than a networking opportunity—it’s a working forum for sharing strategies, surfacing shared challenges, and exploring new directions in technology and innovation. Participants have included professionals from Southwire, International Paper, Home Depot, Catalyst by Wellstar, Delta, and Chick-fil-A, as well as researchers, investors, startup founders, and others shaping Atlanta’s tech landscape.
Why Connect Innovation Centers?
Corporate innovation centers often operate with distinct strategies. Some focus on launching startups through venture studios, others invest directly in external ventures, while many look inward, developing tools, training programs, or R&D capabilities to advance internal innovation. Despite their differences, these centers frequently face similar questions: How do we measure success? How do we engage startups meaningfully? How do we pilot new technologies efficiently?
The Connect series provides a platform for discussing these questions collectively. “This series is about creating a fabric of connectivity between corporate players and the broader innovation community in Tech Square,” said DiCenso. “We want to make collaboration the default, not the exception.”
Throughout several events, the series welcomed representatives from multiple innovation centers and hosted discussions on impact measurement, startup engagement, innovation piloting, KPI tracking, and other related topics. Guest speakers also led focused discussions on issues such as university partnerships and internal R&D strategies.
“Strategic innovation thrives on collaboration. By fostering strong connections between corporate innovation centers, startups, and research institutions, we accelerate breakthroughs, scale disruptive technologies, and create lasting impact. Shared success depends on a dynamic exchange of ideas, resources, and expertise, driving industries forward and shaping a sustainable future. That is exactly what these monthly connection meetings are striving to achieve.”
Trends and Tactics
Participants shared how their centers define and practice innovation. The approaches ranged widely—some prioritize startup acceleration or joint ventures, while others focus on workforce development or in-house product experimentation. Venture capital models and corporate venture studios were also part of the mix.
Across the board, several technological trends emerged as shared areas of interest. Many centers are closely watching developments in data science, AI, advanced sensors, and data convergence. Others cited power management, robotics, hard tech, and resource optimization as key topics they’re working on or monitoring.
Why Tech Square?
While the event’s focus isn’t limited to one location, many participating centers are based in or around the Tech Square area. Its close ties to Georgia Tech, access to top-tier technical talent, and proximity to other innovation hubs make it a practical site for testing ideas, finding collaborators, and staying close to emerging trends.
Unlike more concentrated innovation corridors like Silicon Valley, Atlanta’s tech ecosystem is geographically spread out—from Buckhead and Peachtree Corners to Atlanta Tech Village and South Downtown. That fragmentation can be a challenge but also a strength: it allows various approaches, industries, and communities to develop in parallel. Events like Corporate Innovation Center Connect help bridge those distances by offering regular touchpoints for connection and alignment.
As innovation centers continue to evolve and define their roles in corporate strategy, gatherings like this provide a needed forum, grounded in practical insights and collaborative intent. This series is vital in bridging fragmentation and fostering proximity into partnerships in a city where innovation is geographically dispersed.
If you are interested in attending a future Corporate Innovation Connect, please do not hesitate to contact Mikey DiCenso at MDiCenso@collabre.co.