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T EACHING I NNOVATION Kathryn McGrath. What is Innovation?. Innovation is: Main Entry: in•no•va•tion Function : noun 1 : the introduction of something new 2 : a new idea, method or device Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Why is innovation important?.
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What is Innovation? Innovation is: Main Entry: in•no•va•tionFunction: noun1 : the introduction of something new2 : a new idea, method or device Merriam-Webster Dictionary
Why is innovation important? • The future of many businesses depends upon their ability to innovate. • The ability to not only keep up with current business practices, but to exceed its own – and its competition's – expectations are critical to survival.
Isn’t innovation just invention? An innovation is the extension of an invention
What is “real" innovation? • Accomplished consistently and systematically, given the true voice of the customer and a process for delivering solutions. • Companies that innovate successfully do so using an efficient and repeatable methodology. • Success is not dependent upon genius – it emerges from the disciplined application of a proven innovation methodology.
Educating the Next Steve Jobs “How can schools teach students to be more innovative? Offer hands-on classes and don't penalize failure” Wall Street Journal: April 13, 2012
Capturing innovation in the workplace Without a formal mechanism for capturing and harnessing innovative ideas, innovation tends to get lost in a company’s day-to-day operations. Need a transferable system for creating a pipeline of your company's good ideas. Need to determine if those ideas have the potential to manifest into commercial outcomes.
Can your business afford to not embrace innovative practices and support innovative people and ideas?
Learning points 1) analysis/critical thinking 2) problem solving 3) collaboration/teams 4) perseverance 5) taking calculated risks learning from failure 7) experiential learning
Attributes agility and flexibility 2) initiative/motivation 3) good communication skills 4) curiosity and imagination
Foster innovation in the workplace • Enable people to solve their own problems • Make innovation cool • Don’t stifle innovation with boundaries • Keep doing it
What are we doing to realise a more innovative workforce? To generate new innovative businesses? To create New Zealand’s future?
What does it take to create a new advanced technology enterprise?
How do you work successfully in a team? How do you blend and enhance diverse expertise to create synergy?
How do you tap into an extended network of business and academic mentors?
1 year Interdisciplinary Master’s Programme TEAMS of students: multidisciplinary work as a start up company uses and develops individual expertise TEAMS of supervisors AND business mentors: networks formed innovations captured
Supporting business development and productivity; • Educating a new generation of “Business Ready Scientists”; • Fostering Entrepreneurship; • Supporting innovation and technology transfer; • Developing collaborative initiatives between technical and commercial disciplines; • Integrating understanding and appreciation across disciplines; • Meeting business challenges; • Enhancing entrepreneurial skills; • Improving the business environment.
Graduate attributes • Actively collaborate across disciplines, research strategies/paradigms, including the transfer of knowledge among disciplines, building synergies and leveraging of others’ strengths • Develop and present an appropriate communication strategy • Communicate complex ideas about the development of an advanced technology enterprise to a variety of audiences • Create a defensible business plan for a new advanced technology enterprise • Research, analyse and critically evaluate the commercial potential of an innovation • Demonstrate advanced knowledge of their own discipline within their own work and within the contexts of other disciplines and business development • Produce a substantial piece of research in contributing their specific component of the advanced technology enterprise