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SUMMARY FROMINNOVATION BOOTCAMP 2013

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Innovation Bootcamp 2013 was an anti-conference organized by Business Arena Oy. We had no rigid structure or fixed program. All we did was to provide the space and facilitation for our guests.

More than 20 participants came together for two days of peer-learning around three themes:

- science-to-business- university-business-cooperation- creating permanent results with short-term project funding

This document summarizes the key learning points.

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SOME LEARNING POINTS FOR PROJECTS

5) Act small - develop by experimenting and learning- iterate, fail fast and learn fast

6) Encourage first followers and make their participation visible

7) Demonstrate the impact and benefits

8) Look for the ”black swans”, the unknown and surprising, not the known and predictable ”white swans”

1) Start with an enthusiastic project manager, who is ready to tackle a challenge

2) Think big - create an exciting vision - describe what changes in the world, when the project is finished, but leave plans open- be ready to fail several times, learning by doing

3) Ensure active ownership- intellectual property- who has the incentive to utilize the concept aftewards?

4) Agree on leading thoughts with project partners

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LEARNING POINTS FOR UNIVERISTY-BUSINESS-COOPERATION

People working with innovation promotion need additional training to work out soft skills and facilitation

Also proper indicators and tools for measuring / showing the impact and benefits of UBC are needed (keeping in mind subtle results)

Don’t get surrounded by emotional vampires. Remember to promote first followers, create peer-groups and change culture from within.

New financing and cooperation methods?

Remember the many different types of UBC and avoid silos

People need to perceive drivers and benefits to become active: money and financial interests are not always top priority for scientists and researchers

From teachers to coaches: evolving approach to university teaching

Help students to learn how to create something new. Involve them in science-to-business from the get-go.

Help companies to find right questions and hypothesis for reseachers to work on. Create pull, not push, to get getting scientists involved in science-to-business activity

CHECKLIST- Don’t always wait for permission. Act!

- Take active ownership of what you are doing, even in a public organization

- Be visible and nurture your first followers

- Become too big to fail or to be prevented

- Start with the individual and his/her agenda

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SUMMARY

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LEARNING PROCESS

1 (socialization)

Talking, “throwing ideas”, “talking during breaks”, formal dialogue sessions

4 (internalization)

Action - Testing ideas in practice, using

plans to generate action

3 (combination)

Making plans and prototypes, creating and finding new ideas

2 (externalization)

Finding patterns & leverage points, tools and new ideas, making lists of main findings

Source: Nonaka, Ikujiro & Takeuchi, Hirotaka. 1995.The Knowledge-Creating Company.

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Victoria and Todd presented their ecosystem model for UBC (university-business-cooperation), which was based on their earlier European-wide research on the subject. HIPPO study can be downloaded here: http://ec.europa.eu/education/higher-education/doc/business/thematic11/davey_en.pdf

KEY LEARNING POINTS• UBC is the engine of knowledge society

• UBC is diverse: besides commercialization and R&D collaboration it can also e.g. mean curriculum delivery (involving businesses in study design) and governance (involving academicians in business boards for strategic level impact)

• Active academicians cooperate in many forms - yet when universities design cooperation mechanisms, they sometimes create silos that inhabit real-life behaviour.

• Academicians have different needs: those with +5 years of business experience have no trouble approaching businesses, but might need the help of TTO for fighting bureaucracy

”Impact! We need to elevate the knowledge of UBC impact on the same footing as teaching and research. This must be managed and proven. Impact must be evaluated with not just numbers, but also stories.”

• UBC is always about selling benefits and outcomes for different stakeholders

• Output of a project =/ not always outcome for stakeholders

• Those who see barriers to UBC, have less cooperation, but removal of barriers doesn’t automatically create UBC. People also need drivers! Perceived personal benefits and personal agenda pushes them to do something.

Victoria Galan-Muros & Todd Davey, Science-to-Business Marketing

Research Centre FH Münster

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”Innovation managers are generalists with career councelling skills.”

”Our knowledge of issues takes place in T-shape. We need to know enough about substance to be able to put different dots together, but not too deep to get lost.”

”We need more soft skills for managing people- participatory skills and methods.”

”Innovation managers don’t have proper training, or places for failing safely. If you’re studying to become a hairdresser, you need to do several practice cuts beforehand - and fail several times. With innovation management this isn’t possible. We’re supposed to get everything right on the first try.”

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DARPA project managers have no sense of security. They have four years to do the impossible. 85-90% of the projects fail. Those that succeed, create everlasting changes.

”Everything starts with the individual - the project manager and his agenda and vision.”

Read Antti’s article on DARPA here (in Finnish):http://www.etla.fi/wp-content/uploads/ETLA-Muistio-Brief-8.pdf

Antti-Jussi Tahvanainen, ETLA

DOWNLOAD THE PLAYBOOK INSPIRED

BY DARPAhttp://innovation.io/playbook/

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• Finding someone’s personal agenda is the key. As innovation managers, you need to teach people to find agenda.

”Also DARPA model started with vision and individual person! Its success relies on excellent project managers.”

• Valve, one of the most succesful gaming companies, operates around the idea that everyone needs to find their own project

• the company has two processes: employees need to be excited about creating games, then about making good games

• Current paradigm of production emphasizes people, not just customer value

• Our universities or education systems don’t educate people how to create new

ANSSI TUULENMÄKI, MIND / AALTO UNIVERSITY

Agenda = starting point

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THINK BIG, ACT SMALL

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”In our MIND group, business and research activities are totally in line with the incentives - we don’t get money unless we create value for customers.

It’s easy to measure the impact of research and teaching. After all, they are two basic purposes of universities (citations, study credits, MBA programs and average salary of participants).

For social impact there isn’t proper measurement. So we took the initiative and created our own social impact report by looking at the number of workshops, companies we’ve established, radio and TV apperances, etc. We did at our pre-Christmas party.

Our work is relatively abstract, but when you list issues like this, it becomes concrete. External visibility is also understandable for management.” For inspiration, check out the MIND social impact here:

http://www.mindspace.fi/mind-social-impact/

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LATE NIGHT DISCUSSIONS Broken promises of Generation Y?”We should do something about youth unemployment.”

- ”Yeah, our parents always told us to get a good education and it would lead to a job. Turned out they were wrong. It’s not how life works.”

- ”That’s because young adults at universities are never taught, or encouraged, to create something new.”

- ”They are not prepared for this world with no permanent jobs.”

”If your idea - or the work that you do - doesn’t annoy someone, you’re not doing something meaningful enough.”

Are wicked problems the way to organize

cooperation?

> You take an important topic, like aging society.

> Then put multidisciplinary teams working for visionary

goal, like creating new solutions for elderly people.

> An ”executive producer” works as a center of gravity.

2 questions to find out someone’s personal drivers:

- What do you want to change in the world?

- How would you do it?

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LEARNING PROCESS

1 (socialization)

Talking, “throwing ideas”, “talking during breaks”, formal

dialogue sessions

4 (internalization)

Action - Testing ideas in practice, using

plans to generate action

3 (combination)

Making plans and prototypes, creating and finding new ideas

2 (externalization)

Finding patterns & leverage points, tools and new ideas, making lists of main findings

Source: Nonaka, Ikujiro & Takeuchi, Hirotaka. 1995.The Knowledge-Creating Company.

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Mikko MarkkanenYRITTÄJÄ, TUOTTAJA

Business Arena OYHannikaisenkatu 18Crazy Town40100 Jyväskylä

mikko.markkanen@businessarena.fi+358 40 758 8712

Y-tunnus: 1600226-2Kotipaikka: Jyväskylä

www.businessarena.fi

LOTUS BLOSSOM is a method for expanding your ideas1) In the center, the X, is main theme you wish to expand upon.

2) Next you create eight different viewpoints (A-H) connected to the main theme.

3) Create eight new sub-viewpoints (a1-a8) around each viewpoint. For example:- Ideas, details, questions,- barriers, bottlenecks, problems,- drivers or opportunities- things you can directly impact with your work

a1 a2 a3

a4 A a5 B Ca6 a7 a8

A B CD D X E E

F G H

F G H

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”Every innovator needs a creative bureaucrat as their best friend.”

”UBC ecosystem, DARPA model, Tiimiakatemia and Anssi’s presentation have one thing in common: they start with the individual and his personal agenda in mind.”

- ”Change within university culture is possible, but it’s difficult to do with the current structure of universities. Top structure and policy makes it very hard.”

- ”But that’s why you need to focus on the small changes you can effect. It’s important not to get frustrated. Act without permission. Start something small and prove the impact of your work with results. Bottom-up pressure forces also the higher ups to change.”

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”Think of DARPA; what is right today, might be wrong tomorrow. We always interpret state of affairs based on our current perceptions”.

• The idea of project concepts in Finland is often wrong: projects are implemented with internal focus, too heavy planning and attempt to control the future

”Everytime we talk about projects, we focus on bureaucracy and administration. This leads to control.”

• Remember the black swans, the unexpected results. Understand and learn from failures and divergences - the abnormal and extreme. Try detecting hidden effects!

• Building blocks of sustainable projects:

• active ownership

• collaboration (informal and formal)

• developmental learning

TAINA LOMMI,UUSIMAA CENTRE FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, TRANSPORT AND ENVIRONMENT

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”DARPA projects are expected to fail - and they are never expected to be continued as a new project. If they are a success, results will be carried out by the industry. Sustainability takes place elsewhere.”

”If you get a DARPA project, for certain you’re not able to continue in the organization. Active ownership of a project should be emphasized. In the current Finnish projects there is no need for it. Aim of Finnish projects is often to have another project.”

”Financing officers have a huge impact on the results, but I think this is often forgotten in the discussion: talk about best practices always goes around project managers only.”

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”Who here would like to start building European School of Innovation?”

Screw it.

Let’s do it.

”I encourage all of you to create time and space for these kind of discussions.”

”I think this kind of Bootcamp should be

mandatory for all administrators.”

”Active ownership and love for the sport are

the key motivators for us. We need to be the

owners of what we are doing.”

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”I started out with mission impossible - I didn’t know anything about the subject

of transnational education, but I was excited about it!

MARI PERLINEN,UNIVERSITY OF EASTERN FINLAND

Mari’s checklist for ”transnational education” ie. education export

• Create case descriptions: write down what you have, go through learning by retracing backwards steps (rapukävely)

• Inspire and encourage: researchers are in an alien ground, they need to be inspired and supported

• Know what you don’t know: pricing and customer relationships are tricky!

• Benchmark, copy, share

• Listen to the critics - there is hint of truth

• Always involve trendersetters - active ones and those with potential

• Get excited about all the things what university has; even about orthodox church music, narrow down the customer segment

• Talk to everyone about what you’re doing, be visible!

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UNIVERSITY-BUSINESS-COOPERATION

- Recycling: we should recycle the people from businessess, universities- Project manager pool - people you can pick-up on need basis- Headhunting- New academic image and brand: better and more exiciting image of academic work!- New TV show about professors - Next Top Model Professor- Finnish TED, open to everyone- More fundraisers and people, who sell university research to companies- Pimp my professor- Co-creation platforms: we want existing hubs to use universities

”Kukkeli training: valitaan hulluimmat proffat ja annetaan DARPA-mahis. Kukkelitilassa saat leikkiä turvassa hiekkalaatikolla ja katsoa tuleeko siitä potentiaalinen DARPA-menestys”

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SCIENCE-TO-BUSINESS

Showcases are important! Pioneer scientists need to be involved in

promotion of science-to-business.

- examples and role models

- changing culture from within

Opportunities in spanding boundaries, measurement and new

methods of networking

Changing face of IPR creation

High expectations of traditional research groups

- new ways of working

- academic output vs scientific outpiut

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PROJECT CULTURE GROUP

Services for the projects need to be more connected

Spirit of doing things together - this is should be incorporated into the ecosystem

Shared ownership: same as active ownership; even in joint-projects you need a person that is responsible DARPA-way

Experimental culture and also long-term surveillance of projects is needed.

How to think in advance? We should emphasize license to fail and the ability to take risk.

Productization!

Many customers of projects: end user, paying customer, internal customers

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CHANGE AGENT GROUP

University change agents need a combination of soft and hard skills, in particular participatory approach

They must excell at capturing the issues that drive us to make things happen

Their attributes are very entrepreneurial, ones that can also be learned!

Seeing opportunity is the key

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Emotional vampires are sometimes needed to bring a different kind of view.

But whatever the case, you cannot please everyone - so don’t even try it.

Start by looking for people, who are open to your ideas. Be easy to follow. Act in public! When someone joins onboard, nurture and support them. Having people around you (first followers) turn you from a lone nut into a movement. Your followers promote your activity to their peers, essentially helping to change culture and systems from within.

Leading a network = helping and supporting your followers.

WATCH THE VIDEO:First Follower - Leadership Lessons from Dancing Guy

http://youtu.be/fW8amMCVAJQ

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LEARNING PROCESS

1 (socialization)

Talking, “throwing ideas”, “talking during breaks”, formal

dialogue sessions

4 (internalization)

Action - Testing ideas in practice, using

plans to generate action

3 (combination)

Making plans and prototypes, creating and finding new ideas

2 (externalization)

Finding patterns & leverage points, tools and new ideas, making lists of main findings

Source: Nonaka, Ikujiro & Takeuchi, Hirotaka. 1995.The Knowledge-Creating Company.

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Key ingredient of Valkee’s university cooperation: formulating interesting research hypothesis and questions for researchers to tackle

”Researchers need to be allowed to freely create new formation. Valkee has created them new viewpoints to work on.”

How to balance between short-term business goals / long-term research goals:

”We are making breakthroughs in light therapy all the time. 100% transparency is our main idea. We publish everything as rapidly as we can. Companies in the future need to be fully transparent.”

New scientific publications are marketing material:

”Researchers produce small findings all the time, 3-4 times a year. Our research program and framework have been always visible and open. This is something we want to hold on to.”

Universities should have investors walking the corridors, like they do in USA. ”I have the money, I have the contacts. Would you like to meet people that make it happen?”

”Finnish innovation system is too much managed. We have directors, who are not entrpeneurial Innovation system has a short-sighted view - it pretends to think what is really needed. Businesses are not trusted enough . . . Resources should be closer to the actual beneficiaries. Empower the researchers and free people to act!”

JUUSO NISSILÄ, VALKEE OY

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Example of US-based Third Rock, a venture-capital firm in biotechnology: http://www.nature.com/news/biotechnology-the-start-up-engine-1.13802?WT.mc_id=FBK_NatureNews

We’re a global micro company. People own the Tiimiakatemia brand. We have brand advocates that sell the model - without us even knowing it. They just ask: which way can I start my own Tiimiakatemia? Tiimiakatemia Australia started on its own. It’s the Tiimiakatemia users that keep brand alive and sustain the ”active ownership”.

JOHANNES PARTANEN, TIIMIAKATEMIA / PARTUS OY

New vocabulary: teampreneurs, not students

Coaches, not teachers: Team coaches help the individual and team to learn. They do not control teampreneurs, but rather support their ideas, ask questions and give guiding principles.

Learning in teams, not alone: In the end, individual learning is the most important goal -> team is only a tool for faster learning

Physical space = unlike any typical school environment. ”Learning environment is important. I didn’t first understand how important it really is. People first understand what they see. They don’t hear or listen.”

Sticking with the idea and fighting against standards, even if it’s not appreciated by everyone.

-> These are some building blocks of a strong culture, community and viral brand.

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PITCHING AND PRESENTING THE SOLUTIONSParticipants were tasked with finding solutions to pressing challenges. They had only few hours to come up with answer - and present it in an entertaining way.

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”We work to solve wicked hard problems with big impact.

Projects are vehicles that you use to reach goals.

. . . but you should need a license to operate these vehicles.”

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PROFESSOR ESCORT APP

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BEFOREAFTER

HOW TO CREATE UNIVERSITY CHANGE AGENTS?

Start with participatory evaluation

• Based on UBC ecosystem model and HIPPO study• Scalable to university unit/faculty, university and

regional level• Identifies problem areas, linkages and bottlenecks

- helping to coordinate activities

Deliver training (in modules?)• Practical training for teachers: how to do UBC and

evolve from teachers to coaches?• A - ABCD license training for project managers and

innovation personnel• Productization training for researchers: how to

communicate and market your benefits to companies?

Organize ongoing activity• Selling university services (benefits) for companies• Innovation events• Peer group activities for ”first followers”, scientists

and staff members who are active in UBC• Student and HEI personnel activation• Creating subtle UBC impact indicators for ongoing

measurement and proof of relevance• Professor Escort App®• Investor matchmaking

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WHAT DID WE LEARN?

”Most important learning point: there are other people like me with similar challenges.”

”Grab the people you can work together with. Hold onto them.”

”I have to rethink my teaching style.”

”I will use you people here.”

”All the presentations and stories had one same thread - people and individuals!”

”Sometimes in Germany we occasionally beat out the passion.”

”To get the people do things for you, you need a shared experience to go through. Not just workshops!”

”I found the purpose of project life - learning by doing.”

”Kind of strangely, what I learned were reminders of what I already knew. Live your work. It makes you a complete person.”

”Storytelling in workshops and leadership training.”

”Give space and time for creative people to fill it with their ideas. This is the only way.”

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INNOVATION BOOTCAMP in numbers

24 PARTICIPANTS

13 ORGANIZATIONS REPRESENTED

500 POST-ITS USED

2 OUTDOOR JACUZZIS TESTED

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LEARNING PROCESS

1 (socialization)

Talking, “throwing ideas”, “talking during breaks”, formal

dialogue sessions

4 (internalization)

Action - Testing ideas in practice, using

plans to generate action

3 (combination)

Making plans and prototypes, creating and finding new ideas

2 (externalization)

Finding patterns & leverage points, tools and new ideas, making lists of main findings

Source: Nonaka, Ikujiro & Takeuchi, Hirotaka. 1995.The Knowledge-Creating Company.

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= HOW WILL YOU PUT THE NEW IDEAS TO USE?

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