10X13 Episode 4: Deb Frodl, Global Executive Director of ecomagination, on Innovation and Impact

From its start in 2005, ecomagination at GE has been about impact at scale.  Since 2005, ecomagination products and services have generated over $130B in revenue for GE.  More importantly, they’ve delivered significant benefits to GE’s customers and society.

In this interview, ecomagination’s Global Executive Director, Deb Frodl, describes the kind of impact ecomagination has had on industries including aviation and rail.  A veteran leader of GE’s Fleet business, Deb also describes the company’s progress on bringing 25,000 alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs) to market by 2015.  With 5,000 AFVs now in place within GE’s own fleet, the company has saved over a million gallons of gasoline.

Developing and deploying advanced technologies at scale requires both partnerships and innovation.  Deb explains how GE is, for example, working with ConEd, Columbia University, and FedEx on AFVs in New York City and BNSF on locomotives that burn liquefied natural gas.  She also describes the internal and external innovation activities underway at GE across their Global Research Centers, their San Ramon Global Software Center, and via their new Industrial Internet strategy.

For more information, check out the 2012 ecomagination Global Impact Report, released after this interview was taped.