Bradford
School of Management will be at fairs and exhibitions around the world. 
15 June 2010 - Innovation Club spots next big ideas
The Innovation Club, founded by Bradford University School of Management for some of the region's top businesses, has identified a dozen good ideas to stay ahead of the competition. Now they are starting to look at a major challenge for all those involved - how to identify the next big idea ahead of America or the Far East.
The Club's business chiefs visited each other's companies to give their views on where the source of innovation was in each business, the barriers to innovation and the ideas they would take home for their own companies.
All the businesses stressed the importance of encouraging all their employees to suggest new ideas. At Foster's Bakery every suggestion is given time and lab space - and the failures of ideas are as important to learn from as the successes.
One observation became a theme, that of having a dedicated place for employees to get together and test out new ideas. Several businesses are thinking about how they can introduce this.At Foundation, they focus on the 90 per cent that is successful, rather than allow the 10 per cent that doesn't work so well to dominate discussions and meetings. Premier Farnell has a rule that if anyone suggests a new idea, no-one is allowed to say anything negative for three minutes.
A number were interested in the close relationships that some businesses have with local prisons to support and train offenders and recruit to fill skills needs. Other sparks of interest were around achieving 24-hr despatch on complex orders and running businesses within businesses.
The Club was the brainchild of Dr Nigel Lockett, director of the centre for entrepreneurship and innovation management at the School. He said: "There is a great deal of trust among this senior peer group - and that has led to open discussions and sharing best practice.
"They have now given us a number of challenges - particularly around spotting the next big innovation - and we are looking at how we can deliver that. This is very much 'their' Club so we are developing these ideas together. I hope we are developing a model here for businesses to find real added value from their leading business schools."The members of the group are Arco, Arena Group, Bettys and Taylors, Foundation, Foster's Bakery, Gordons, Hallmark, NG Bailey, NetConstruct, Pace plc, Premier Farnell, Suma, Systagenix Wound Management, Tunstall, WebAnywhere and Yorkshire Water.
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