Taking Innovation Forward presentations

These are the notes from the presentations given at the Taking Innovation Forward Kent Year of Innovation End of Year Breakfast.

Opening Presentation

welcome to all
there is great economic and social heterogeneity in Kent
at University of Kent, we help staff exploit intellectual property rights, help students become more aware of IPR and help SMEs in commercialising their ideas. We also help staff from other organisations with their continuing professional development
special thanks to Carol Patrick, Kim Fletcher, Carole Barron, Jo James and David Butler
the University of Kent would like to celebrate the many projects developed during the Year of Innovation, particularly the Kent Catalogue of Innovations, the Kent Innovation Forum, the Big Education Challenge

innovation has profound implications for the public sector and businesses
it's not about doing things better
innovation can be very small but transformational
you need to go on the journey
innovation goes beyond public opinion
don't expect the journey to be easy
Kent Card wasn't easy
film industry is disruptive and hungry for change
need to celebrate innovation, otherwise you won't be able to retain the people nor the competence
need to create a culture of risk-taking and political leadership
need to create a virus, need to create an ethos
need to celebrate what's going on in Kent
serious innovation needs serious change
first your ideas are ridiculed, then laughed at, then people claim your ideas as their own
Gateways owned by everybody, got 100% satisfaction rating
next journey: single public number to access services
sense that even more in the bad times, we need to help businesses innovate
there is a need to create cultures where ideas would never be suppressed by managers
stories of change, details the highs and lows of the journey through innovation
any innovation should create resilience
how do we get innovation outside the box?
not through linear organisational culture, it's about creating relationships
want a bit of chaos sometimes
come out with the most outrageous suggestions to take the organisation somewhere it's never been before
need to put this into the blood of the organisation, walk the talk, as if part of our everyday lives

mix academia, enterprise and comedy
incremental and radical change (demonstrated via "magic tricks" as seen in the film)
Alex King talked about going from garden of England to garden of entrepreneurship
experience economy unfolded, competition, people become innovative
not just an experience, but experiences, choice is endless
development since 60s: catastrophe, chaos and complexity
pace of change accelerated way beyond comfort zone. Before we could predict market place
now we going from problem solving to sense making
white paper: entrepreneurial behaviour, way that we get into mindsets
if I'm best in what I do, then others follow me
taking risks, no-one dies, it's a well informed risk. You live to fight again. If we have an environment of collaboration
melt-down of all traditional boundaries
dealing with chaos, taking innovation forward
there is always a tendency to think of tried and tested
real opportunities at the interface between chaos and stability
tensions between sticking to what you know to what you can do
education is also about creating transferable skills, networks, strategic alliances
off with the shackles of my father's generation
encourage a different attitude and work collaboratively
edge of chaos means must unleash creativity
talent is there…need to unleash imagination
no-one can desire what we can't perceive

University of Kent wanted to make Year of Innovation
aspart of this we launched the UK Biometrics Institute and other initiatives that help make Kent a place of business
KYOI, has been a true partnerships development,, including activities such as;
- Innovation workshop
- Kent Innovation Fair
- 2020: 600 businesses turned up to innovation workshop
- 17 new ideas from students
- incubator
- Innov8 student society
- East Kent Inventors Club
- £10 Challenge
- Kent Messenger provided loans to students. Product needed to be legal and ethical
- Winner raised £500 and other winners raised lots of money
Big Education Challenge
- 5 winning teams
- no idea what they had to do until they arrived
- challenge was to develop a sustainable community town
- students didn't fail us
- had two hours to brainstorm idea
- it was clear sustainable communities were important to them as citizens
- seven winners had one hour to present
- winner was Rainham Grammar
- want to invite planners and other units
two significant papers: Innovation Nation and Unlocking Potential
UKC committed to generate innovation through Innovation & Enterprise Strategy
encourage student & academic innovation
there is no box
pledge one idea to take Kent innovation forward
can be part of government's vision of Innovation Nation