December 20, 2009
S-P-A-R-K Leonardo Development of Innovation Proposal - Igniting innovation for business
6:44 am | 
Posted by
Artypig
a. Outline
This project will develop innovative training materials designed to harness the creative abilities necessary to drive innovation within small businesses.
Innovation can be a difficult process. Business owners are often scared to try something new, or are simply unable to think ‘outside the box’. Businesses in the creative industries however are usually creative throughout. Their basic requirement for creativity does not begin and end with their main product or service; it permeates everything they do. The attributes and qualities of creative people are neatly summarised by Charles Landry in his book The Creative City. They are: the ability to think afresh; be enquiring and flexible; see unusual connections; not be frightened of ambiguity, paradox or contradictions; and be original.
This project intends to develop new ways of working which will harness this source of creativity and use it to support businesses that are not reaching their full potential. In order to do this, it will be necessary to produce training materials for both creative practitioners and facilitators, and develop frameworks and approaches within which they will be applied. Delivery will take place in a safe environment, supported by the latest innovative collaboration technology. By combining creative people with business owners and managers from other sectors, we hope to create an atmosphere of exploration and trust, where the necessary spark of an idea may be created and developed.
b. Need
It is widely agreed that in order to compete effectively against both developed and developing nations, European businesses need to become more creative and innovative. The Cox Review of Creativity in Business argued that sustained success in business, regardless of sector, increasingly depends on the ability to innovate: to exploit new ideas and new opportunities ahead of the competition. This does not only apply to new products, but to areas like technology, branding, communication and internal management systems.
As part of the Lisbon strategy, Europe has developed a strong policy framework to support innovation. However, policies do not always recognise the cross-sectoral and multi-disciplinary aspects of the creativity required to drive innovation. According to the EUROCITIES input to a European Commission Green Paper on cultural and creative industries, creative industries practitioners can bring new elements and know-how to more traditional fields of industry.
The Cox Review supports the approach of having a number of people involved in the process. It states that group interaction is important because it brings together individuals with different experience and backgrounds to exchange ideas. The more diverse the group, the greater the potential for success because the group can in principle combine many different knowledge sets.
However, different disciplines may lack a common language, so communication may be difficult. It may become apparent that individuals from different backgrounds have quite different values, and so disagreements or conflicts could arise. The facilitator’s role is crucial in ensuring that all members of the group are working effectively towards a common goal.
The proposed method is very different from mentoring, which tends to be long-term intervention involving a mentor engaged because of their superior knowledge of an industry. People with prior experience may also have fixed views, and will not provide the original thinking required for this process. It is also different from the work of business advisors who often provide only generic and limited advice. Although the techniques and tools created will be of use in business support settings across Europe, this project is focused on creating an atmosphere and a set of facilitation techniques conducive to the generation of new ideas and approaches, which will drive innovation.
c. Target Groups
There are two principal target groups for this project; creative practitioners and facilitators. Creative practitioners are people with a track record of creativity, preferably within some kind of enterprise, organisation, or research and development role. They will be successful in their own field, with an interest in working with other businesses. They will play a key role in generating the spark necessary to begin the process of innovation, although they will not be solely responsible for achieving success.
Facilitators also play an essential role in the process. Experienced facilitators will be most suitable, who have experience working with clients in group settings, particularly those with a business or organisational background. This role may be of interest to business advisors and other business support professionals, although some prior facilitation experience will be necessary.
The end users will be business owners and managers from small and medium-sized enterprises who have a need for creativity in order to develop their business. The areas requiring innovation can be broad, ranging from product development and recruitment to internal systems and branding.
d. Specific aims
To research best practice in the use of creativity and creative people to drive innovation within businesses.
To research best practice in facilitating communication and idea-creation between creative people and business owners and managers.
To develop these findings into training materials.
To test these materials and disseminate the results.
e. Proposed Tangible Outcomes
1. Project e-Newsletter
2. Project website
3. Report on: a) current and planned European-wide innovation strategies;
b) current themes relating to the use of creativity in a business setting;
c) availability of collaboration software.
4. Training materials for creative practitioners
5. Training materials for facilitators including appropriate facilitation techniques
6. Training sessions taking place in partner countries
8. End of project regional ‘mini’ conference/workshops
9. Dissemination report on identified best practice
f. Proposed Project Activity Management
The project will be managed through a Project Steering Group that represents the partners via the following proposed work packages:
WP1 Project Management
WP2 Monitoring and Evaluation
WP3 Valorisation (Dissemination and exploitation)
WP4 Analysis of needs (best practice, base line research)
WP5 Development of methodologies and approach
WP6 Development of tools and the adaptation of content
WP7 Implementation, assessment and testing
Communication within the partnership will be via a bespoke web environment and web conferencing, emails, an e-newsletter and via Skype voice over IP. This communications strategy will also enable thorough dissemination to the wider partnership and associated colleagues.
Possible partners:
Lead Partners –
Preston City Council - UK
Pacificstream Information C.I.C. - UK
Other partners approached for interest:
Sandbox, University of Central Lancashire – UK
Lynfabrikken – DK
LiNK MV – D
WHSE – PL
Fabrikken AS – N
Barcelona Media – SP
Innovation Lab – DK
Culminatum – F
Atelier – MT/I
Chamber of Commerce and Industry - PT
This project will develop innovative training materials designed to harness the creative abilities necessary to drive innovation within small businesses.
Innovation can be a difficult process. Business owners are often scared to try something new, or are simply unable to think ‘outside the box’. Businesses in the creative industries however are usually creative throughout. Their basic requirement for creativity does not begin and end with their main product or service; it permeates everything they do. The attributes and qualities of creative people are neatly summarised by Charles Landry in his book The Creative City. They are: the ability to think afresh; be enquiring and flexible; see unusual connections; not be frightened of ambiguity, paradox or contradictions; and be original.
This project intends to develop new ways of working which will harness this source of creativity and use it to support businesses that are not reaching their full potential. In order to do this, it will be necessary to produce training materials for both creative practitioners and facilitators, and develop frameworks and approaches within which they will be applied. Delivery will take place in a safe environment, supported by the latest innovative collaboration technology. By combining creative people with business owners and managers from other sectors, we hope to create an atmosphere of exploration and trust, where the necessary spark of an idea may be created and developed.
b. Need
It is widely agreed that in order to compete effectively against both developed and developing nations, European businesses need to become more creative and innovative. The Cox Review of Creativity in Business argued that sustained success in business, regardless of sector, increasingly depends on the ability to innovate: to exploit new ideas and new opportunities ahead of the competition. This does not only apply to new products, but to areas like technology, branding, communication and internal management systems.
As part of the Lisbon strategy, Europe has developed a strong policy framework to support innovation. However, policies do not always recognise the cross-sectoral and multi-disciplinary aspects of the creativity required to drive innovation. According to the EUROCITIES input to a European Commission Green Paper on cultural and creative industries, creative industries practitioners can bring new elements and know-how to more traditional fields of industry.
The Cox Review supports the approach of having a number of people involved in the process. It states that group interaction is important because it brings together individuals with different experience and backgrounds to exchange ideas. The more diverse the group, the greater the potential for success because the group can in principle combine many different knowledge sets.
However, different disciplines may lack a common language, so communication may be difficult. It may become apparent that individuals from different backgrounds have quite different values, and so disagreements or conflicts could arise. The facilitator’s role is crucial in ensuring that all members of the group are working effectively towards a common goal.
The proposed method is very different from mentoring, which tends to be long-term intervention involving a mentor engaged because of their superior knowledge of an industry. People with prior experience may also have fixed views, and will not provide the original thinking required for this process. It is also different from the work of business advisors who often provide only generic and limited advice. Although the techniques and tools created will be of use in business support settings across Europe, this project is focused on creating an atmosphere and a set of facilitation techniques conducive to the generation of new ideas and approaches, which will drive innovation.
c. Target Groups
There are two principal target groups for this project; creative practitioners and facilitators. Creative practitioners are people with a track record of creativity, preferably within some kind of enterprise, organisation, or research and development role. They will be successful in their own field, with an interest in working with other businesses. They will play a key role in generating the spark necessary to begin the process of innovation, although they will not be solely responsible for achieving success.
Facilitators also play an essential role in the process. Experienced facilitators will be most suitable, who have experience working with clients in group settings, particularly those with a business or organisational background. This role may be of interest to business advisors and other business support professionals, although some prior facilitation experience will be necessary.
The end users will be business owners and managers from small and medium-sized enterprises who have a need for creativity in order to develop their business. The areas requiring innovation can be broad, ranging from product development and recruitment to internal systems and branding.
d. Specific aims
To research best practice in the use of creativity and creative people to drive innovation within businesses.
To research best practice in facilitating communication and idea-creation between creative people and business owners and managers.
To develop these findings into training materials.
To test these materials and disseminate the results.
e. Proposed Tangible Outcomes
1. Project e-Newsletter
2. Project website
3. Report on: a) current and planned European-wide innovation strategies;
b) current themes relating to the use of creativity in a business setting;
c) availability of collaboration software.
4. Training materials for creative practitioners
5. Training materials for facilitators including appropriate facilitation techniques
6. Training sessions taking place in partner countries
8. End of project regional ‘mini’ conference/workshops
9. Dissemination report on identified best practice
f. Proposed Project Activity Management
The project will be managed through a Project Steering Group that represents the partners via the following proposed work packages:
WP1 Project Management
WP2 Monitoring and Evaluation
WP3 Valorisation (Dissemination and exploitation)
WP4 Analysis of needs (best practice, base line research)
WP5 Development of methodologies and approach
WP6 Development of tools and the adaptation of content
WP7 Implementation, assessment and testing
Communication within the partnership will be via a bespoke web environment and web conferencing, emails, an e-newsletter and via Skype voice over IP. This communications strategy will also enable thorough dissemination to the wider partnership and associated colleagues.
Possible partners:
Lead Partners –
Preston City Council - UK
Pacificstream Information C.I.C. - UK
Other partners approached for interest:
Sandbox, University of Central Lancashire – UK
Lynfabrikken – DK
LiNK MV – D
WHSE – PL
Fabrikken AS – N
Barcelona Media – SP
Innovation Lab – DK
Culminatum – F
Atelier – MT/I
Chamber of Commerce and Industry - PT
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
0 comments:
Post a Comment