It is not simply finished products that change people’s lives; rather it is the concepts and ideas that shape these products. It is only through having the freedom and the space to develop ideas that real change can happen. And often, a different perspective is vital before new solutions can materialize. Take, for example, how Superglue came to be: First developed to be used in the production of a gun sight, it was too strong and not fit for purpose, but nine years later with another perspective there was the Eureka moment, from which the world was introduced to a universal glue that has gone on to impact most people’s lives and led to countless imitations

Different perspectives often come from collaboration, and it is this collaboration that leads to new breakthroughs. From James Watson and Francis Crick collaborating to discover the structure of DNA, to Larry Page and Sergey Brin working together to give the world Google, a collaborative approach can change the world.

Being able to have the freedom to take a different perspective is why we created the POC Lab. Our scientific forum for open and free discussion of new research ideas and innovation concepts brings us together with experts from a range of disciplines. We are proud and humbled to share the POC Lab with some of the leading minds in their respective fields. Working together with them on new protective concepts allows us to gain valuable insight into what makes effective protection.

Everyone at POC has a strong belief in taking a holistic approach to safety, and all external experts who work with us in the POC Lab not only share this belief; it guides their own daily work. Experts including Magdalena Lindman, Technical Expert in Traffic Safety Data Analysis at Volvo Cars, have a deep shared desire to improve safety for all road users, and it is this shared desire that drives the partnership with Volvo and involvement in the POC Lab. “Without this genuine motivation, we would not collaborate,” she says, adding that a shared desire to focus on the “true problem” is the only route to developing effective solutions.

Other medical and scientific experts who work with us on the POC Lab include Dr Per Hamid Ghatan, a brain injury specialist at Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden, whose knowledge of brain trauma and concussion helps us more fully understand the difference that having the right protection can make. He says of his own work with the lab that he is like a baker adding spices to a dough that will later become bread; he adds direction to ideas that we at POC have already begun to form.

Dr Claes Hultling has long been a pioneer in the treatment of spinal cord injury. Founder of Spinalis, he encourages rehabilitation of “body, mind and life” after injury. This holistic approach matches perfectly with our beliefs, and his knowledge not only of the physical impacts of injury but also the emotional inspires us to make protection that benefits people’s lives.

Alongside our in-house experts and these specialists, the POC Lab forum is the place where athletes we work with, including current and former ski racers, and World Tour cyclists, share their ideas, needs and opinions with us. Only with input from all of these different people does our holistic approach to protection truly take shape. Understanding these different viewpoints and approaches is the key to success. For us, success means providing the best protection we can for athletes and anyone inspired to be one.