Innovation doesn’t fail because of technology. It fails because of culture, distance, and lack of trust. In this episode of Scouting for Growth, Sabine VanderLinden sits down with Bessem Ayari, Head of Innovation Strategy & Scouting at ERGO Group AG, to unpack what it really takes to build innovation that scales inside one of the world’s most established insurance groups. Bessem isn’t interested in innovation theatre. His mandate is impact. As customer expectations are shaped by Amazon, Netflix, and real-time digital experiences, insurance can no longer afford slow cycles, siloed teams, or PowerPoint-driven experimentation. Innovation, Bessem argues, is not about chasing shiny tech—it’s about solving today’s problems while preparing for tomorrow’s realities. At ERGO, this philosophy comes to life through a deeply connected innovation portfolio, deliberately anchored close to the core business. From robotic automation and process mining to AI, GPT initiatives, and immersive technologies like VR and the metaverse, ERGO doesn’t just pilot ideas—it industrialises them. Competency centres are built internally so innovation doesn’t remain external, fragile, or dependent on a single champion. A standout part of the conversation is ScaleHub—ERGO’s platform designed to bridge startups and corporate reality. ScaleHub isn’t an accelerator in name only. It’s a learning environment where founders gain rare, direct access to how a global insurer actually works: its processes, people, constraints, and decision logic. For startups, this insider understanding can mean the difference between endless pilots and real commercial scale. Bessem is unequivocal on one point: you don’t learn innovation from slides. You learn it by doing—testing, failing fast, iterating, and deciding quickly. That’s why ERGO insists on tangible experimentation and hands-on collaboration. Innovation must be experienced, not explained. And while technology plays a role, Bessem repeatedly brings the conversation back to people. Insurance remains a people business. Trust isn’t built through dashboards—it’s built in rooms, over conversations, sometimes over dinner. Physical collaboration, he believes, accelerates understanding, alignment, and long-term partnership in ways remote tools alone still cannot. For founders, this episode offers a rare corporate insider’s perspective: Why understanding how corporates function is critical to scaling How proximity to the core unlocks faster, more meaningful adoption Why pilots fail—and what corporates actually need to move forward For enterprise leaders, it’s a masterclass in: Designing innovation portfolios that deliver real value Building internal capability, not dependency Creating cultures where experimentation is safe—but disciplined 🎧 If you care about scaling innovation beyond pilots, turning collaboration into growth, and building trust between startups and corporates—this episode is essential listening. Because innovation isn’t about ideas. It’s about impact, proximity, and execution.