I agree - it seems like any regulated environment tends to evolve into a dreary office culture. That being said it's likely the OP could create a group that s

I agree - it seems like any regulated environment tends to evolve into a dreary office culture. That being said it's likely the OP could create a group that supports innovation or has a radically different culture, however, it'll be a target for internal politics. Best bet is cherry-picking best practices and then adopting them in phases.