New Game-Plan: Knowledge Exchange
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About Us
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Our services and capabilities:
About Knowledge Exchange The Government places a high priority on innovation, and in particular on boosting the commercial impact of research. This reflects evidence (e.g from the Sainsbury Review) that, while the quality of UK research is outstanding, there is still untapped scope to realise commercial benefits for UK plc.
Key points about 'Knowledge Exchange' (KE), which is now the preferred and broader term for what used to be known as 'Knowledge Transfer' (KT) include:
What are 'Knowledge Transfer Networks' (KTNs)? The Government established the Technology Strategy Board (TSB) in 2007 to drive forward innovation in the UK (see www.innovateuk.org). Its role is to 'stimulate technology-enabled innovation in the areas which offer the greatest scope for boosting UK growth and productivity'. It promotes, supports and invests in technology research, development and commercialisation. The TSB sponsors collaborative R&D, Knowledge Transfer Networks and Partnerships, and Technology Centres. KTNs 'stimulate innovation through knowledge transfer and sharing of ideas'. They bring together businesses (suppliers and customers), universities, research and technology organisations, and funding bodies. Several KTNs include earlier 'Faraday Partnerships'. Our support for Knowledge Exchange We have particular expertise and experience in the processes and skills for achieving Knowledge Exchange, especially at the interfaces between industry, research and government. We have focused on supporting KTNs in developing sector Roadmaps, and in raising awareness of KE good practice and tools. KTNs can gain powerful synergy through collaboration with New Game-Plan. We have enabled the Company Chemists' Association, Scottish Stem Cell Network, the Aquagenome Partnership, and four KTNs to co-create sector Roadmaps with their stakeholders, using 'Brain-Pool' Workshops. Our Synthesis Reports fed directly into the Roadmaps. Recent Workshops have demonstrated the value of significant pre-work, with our clients, to distil existing roadmaps, identify drivers and desired outcomes, and develop draft proposals for research and innovation. This work draws on our skills in articulating and framing propositions, so that they can be systematically reviewed and developed. Our input has provoked significant new thinking and increased productivity. The Roadmaps have been highly influential: focusing internal Network activity in research and knowledge and technology transfer; and leveraging external funding. Many Roadmap proposals for research and innovation have succeeded in attracting funding because they are clearly articulated, well-evidenced, and incorporate both creative and critical inputs from stakeholders. Our services for Knowledge Exchange
Our distinctive approach to Roadmapping combines: effective engagement with stakeholders; the use of special technology to support the process; experience in catalysing structures and capabilities for Networking; the use of clear visualisations to create a shared view of the roadmap and value chains; promoting creative thinking about opportunities, and in-depth articulation and assessment of them; and broad experience in strategy work. We have successfully used our Roadmapping approach to develop Roadmaps, innovation programmes, and research strategies alike. Our sponsors for this work have included KTNs, global businesses and diverse cross-sector groups. We are well-equipped to develop and apply tools to make innovation happen. Uniquely, we integrate the creative and systematic approaches that often inhabit 'different camps' in organisations. For example, we used Brain-Pool Workshops to enable staff from design, technology, marketing and packaging functions within a global consumer products company to co-create novel product concepts which would exploit new technologies. We also enabled the NI Food Strategy Partnership, and its stakeholders, to co-create 'Innovation Programmes' to deliver 'Visions for the Agri-Food Sector in 2020'. Our work with participants to articulate and distil rounded 'innovation statements' for systematic deliberation has been particularly useful in driving forward the innovation process. Our support extends well beyond the provision of 'general innovation management tools'. We stress the importance of 'market pull' as much as 'technology push'. The key challenge is to distil clear technology requirements for innovation projects from market and customer needs. Our Brain-Pool Workshops, which bring together the relevant stakeholders to deliberate on these requirements, precisely meet that challenge. The output is a clear and unequivocal brief which those seeking to commercialise innovation can use to explore external sources of technology. From our experience in KE, we know that making Networks effective presents a real challenge. We are uniquely qualified as the catalyst to make Knowledge Exchange happen. For example, we have designed, kick-started, and animated four technology Networks for a global biosciences company. These have enabled staff from diverse functions spread across a dozen sites in Europe, NAFTA, and APAC to collaborate more effectively. We have also trained staff to use Networking tools and improve their personal skills. One off-shoot was an intensive project (using a Brain-Pool Workshop) to review the 'lessons learned' from new product development projects, and then to develop, transfer and embed a new framework to promote good practice in risk management. Our highly innovative workshops 'break the mould' - contrasting sharply with the traditional 'talking heads, flip charts and post-it notes'. Our use of special technology enables collaborative interaction and building of ideas 'on screen'. Everyone gets a fair and equal opportunity to contribute their views - anonymously. As a result, the Workshops deliver a vast improvement in productivity and knowledge capture. Our distillation and assessment techniques enable participants to obtain clear outcomes for later refinement. Our service covers design, facilitation, analysis and reporting. Knowledge Exchange Training and Toolkits We provide specialist training to develop skills which are critical to successful innovation - yet scarce:
We do not provide training on more generic issues (e.g. sources of funding for ventures and management of IP in collaborations), as this is readily available from other providers. Our model for stakeholder engagement emphasises developing new knowledge and forging tangible collaboration. We focus on 'learning' rather than 'persuasion', recognising that those leading the engagement, and those targeted by it, will both gain through dialogue. We have successfully deployed this approach with diverse stakeholder groups:
For example, we designed, facilitated, analysed and reported six Brain-Pool Workshops for Defra to generate research priorities in Sustainable Farming and Food. Over 200 participants from 125 organisations generated 800 discrete ideas, which we then distilled down to 200 research statements for the Priorities Group to consider. We also engaged the public in debates on the same theme. |