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Advances in Engineering: Inside the Molex Model for Collaborative Innovation
According to a Bain & Company report, global investments in engineering and R&D are expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10% through 2026, fueled by the rise of digital design and growing complexity in product development. In this climate, the competitive edge goes to organizations that can shorten the distance between uncertainty and action.
So, what does it take for technology manufacturers to move faster at scale? At Molex, sharing insight is embedded into the way people work. More than a mindset, it is an operating model and an embedded principle of knowledge sharing that is designed to connect the right people to the right tools at the right time.
The Molex approach gives collaborators lateral access to expertise and resources across business units and time zones. This results in faster design decisions and flexible, situation-driven problem solving. When the right people are aligned to common goals and have access to the necessary expertise, engineering advancements become standard operating procedure.
Where the Model Meets the Moment
The Molex Innovation Leadership Summit began in 2024 as a pilot event in the US state of Michigan, offering global teams a forum to hear and learn from each other and contribute across divisions. The response was strong enough to inspire the 2025 summit to the Molex Global Technology Center (GTC) in Bengaluru, India. The event surfaced technical insights and identified active projects with untapped potential. Participants from across Molex global consumer, medical, automotive, datacom, industrial, and aerospace and defense groups came together in a high-energy, interactive environment, exchanging ideas and exploring shared opportunities.
Unlike traditional conferences, the weeklong summit was structured as a series of working sessions. Teams gathered side by side in breakout sessions and peer-led workshops to share breakthrough projects and technologies. Many of these sessions sparked ideas for previously unconnected groups, often by spotting opportunities or aligning tools and assets already in motion, applying shared principles to real challenges. The enthusiasm and recognized value of face-to-face collaboration was clear, and conversations about extending this format again to future events are already underway.
From New Connections to Tangible Results
Although the value of this event in both the short and long-term is virtually undefinable, the following are just a few examples that illustrate how partnerships surfaced both onsite and through connections made at the ILS and evolved into measurable outcomes across Molex. Each scenario highlights how Molex leaders applied cross-disciplinary insight to deliver real, customer-facing value.
Example 1: Leveraging Measurement Best Practices Across Business Units
Two engineers from the Transportation Innovative Solutions division developed a best-in-class technique for measurement and analysis. They highlighted it in the context of a tech showcase on site at the ILS event as a powerful example of how voice of customer feedback enables speed-to-market gains. As it turns out, an engineer colleague from the Copper Solutions business unit was seeking a relevant solution for the data center customers in his business unit and was pointed to his colleagues in automotive. “This is exactly what copper needs—this is great,” he said. Today, the measurement and analysis tool is being leveraged outside of its original intent—all thanks to proactive innovation collaboration facilitated at ILS.
Example 2: Setting the Course for Advancing a Smart Inhaler Solution
An engineering design team supporting the medical division faced an urgent customer need for a smart inhaler module but lacked internal electronics and firmware capabilities to develop a timely, workable solution. A delay seemed likely. Instead of outsourcing, they pulled in sensor and engineering subject matter experts from two global innovation teams aligned to other supporting business units. The result was satisfying on several levels. Product development time dropped from an estimated 15 to 18 months to just six. The final design reduced costs by half and significantly extended battery life, hitting the customer’s rigorous technical targets. Additionally, the engineering expertise offered by other teams allowed all groups to achieve higher levels of self-actualization by helping their colleagues, as well as solving new and rewarding customer challenges. This project showcased the operational framework in action at the GTC in India—the same site that hosted the 2025 summit. This example was highlighted at the event to illustrate the power of cross-divisional collaboration with mutually beneficial outcomes.
Example 3: System-Level Analysis for AirBorn Power Supply
At ILS 2025, the CTO of recently acquired aerospace and defense company AirBorn, a Molex company, connected with Molex engineers skilled in system-level reliability modeling. He had recognized earlier that this capability was needed by his team in order to support a complex power supply project, prompting him to engage the extensive and diverse experience within his new parent company to fill these skill gaps. These conversations gave the CTO the context and contacts to shape AirBorn’s analysis approach, which helped the customer gain confidence in the solution’s capability while also establishing a repeatable analysis method inside AirBorn. This exemplified how a chance encounter, coupled with effective communication and knowledge-sharing, can lead to significant business advancement and potential for powerful new customer outcomes.
From Shared Insight to Tangible Impact
When collaboration is embedded into the company structure and ways of working, speed becomes attainable. Molex contributors gain momentum by working across networks to solve problems. They feel empowered to focus on customer value over project ownership. These habits also foster clarity: engineers in distinct business units can better discern where to find expertise and how to share what they learn without slowing down.
Behind every point of contact is a wider partnership, ready to bring its collective experience to bear. The outcomes are real: faster launches and compelling solutions delivered with customer value in mind. And because this model is designed to scale, collaboration becomes a repeatable path to innovation.
Molex continues to invest in environments where progress can scale repeatedly. To learn more about how Molex turns shared effort into outcomes that move customers forward, visit the Molex Innovation Hub.
