Innovation is a powerful economic engine. It is a change of product, service or process which allows an organization to meet the challenges of a changing environment. It allows organizations to gain market share and profitability, provides consumers with better services and more productivity, and makes a region a compelling location for citizens to live and work.
But innovation cannot happen in a vacuum.
For more than 150 years, Bryant University has leveraged innovation to evolve and prosper. Moving from Providence to Smithfield, introducing new majors to its historic business curriculum as well as adding new art and science programs, and most recently establishing a campus in Zhuhai, China; all are innovations that have been undertaken in anticipation of the emerging needs of industry and society.
Making innovation a core component of an enterprise requires time, commitment and investment. In May, Bryant will break ground on a new Academic Innovation Center. When it opens in fall 2016, this facility also can be a venue for state leaders and organizations to harness the spirit of creativity and the design thinking inherent in innovation.
Here are three thoughts to keep in mind as you commit to innovation:
» Be alert to disruptive future forces and bold in envisioning a creative future.
» Encourage collaboration, and cultivate the art of teamwork. Creativity alone is not enough, one needs an implementation team and process.
» Practice design thinking as a structured approach to generating and developing ideas. •