Innovation Will Become the Driving Force Behind the Evolution of

BUSINESS Mým úkolem je firmám proces inovace nastavovat a vést je v prvních krocích. Zároveň v této oblasti spolupracuji se dvěma významnými institucemi Moravskoslezského kraje, kterými jsou Moravskoslezské inovační centrum – MSIC a IdeaHUB. Společně s dalšími experty vytváříme základ sítě, která malým a středním firmám v této oblasti efektivně pomáhá. MSIC umí vytvářet platformy a podmínky pro setkávání a spolupráci zástupců firem a expertů na inovace. Zkušení mentoři moderují proces inovace ve firmách s využitím jednoduchých metod, jako jsou Lean Canvas, Business Canvas, Design Sprint apod. Tyto metody umožňují strukturovaný, systematický a efektivní postup při vytváření inovací. Díky týmu IdeaHUB a jejich metodikám hodnotové analýzy a TRIS pak umíme podpořit vytváření unikátních technických řešení a výrobu prototypů s následnou validací na trhu. Náš tým New Dimension při této spolupráci trénuje a rozvíjí experty, inovační týmy a lídry, aby výše uvedené aktivity ve firmě „Inovace“ zvládli. Nejsou to náročné věci, ale mnoho firem je z různých důvodu neřeší. Toto se společně snažíme měnit. Jak to vidíte vy? Innovation Will Become the Driving Force Behind the Evolution of the Moravian-Silesian Region! Most of our readers know the situation the Moravian-Silesian Region is in. Mining activities are being attenuated and heavy industry is on the decline. The region is currently undergoing some big changes, and in the next 10 years, these changes will only get larger. A big number of companies are dealing with market loss and are searching for new possibilities to apply their potentials. Many new businesses will be created, and they will expand upon market opportunities. Many companies will also go bankrupt, or will not reach their conception at all. It will be mainly those that can follow and work with innovation, that will hold their ground. What these firms need to first understand is what innovation actually is, how it can be harnessed for business growth and how to make its process a company strategic routine. People have different conceptions of innovation. Some view it as an improvement, some as a new technical solution, others as a new product or service. Personally, I perceive innovation as the discovery of new real estate on the market, as the creation of a unique solution and new value for the customer, for which they are willing to pay. My ex-colleague used to say: “Patent offices are full of great ideas and solutions, but only a small percentage of them become implemented as innovations.” Innovation can also be expressed in this mathematical formula: I=Id x SO. It says that the success of a product or solution is equal to the idea multiplied by the seized opportunity, and we all know how multiplying by zero works… How to spawn and direct innovation in companies? All businesses should essentially be a combination of two companies. The Realization Company, that generates money in the present and allows the business to stay afloat, and the Innovation Company, that prepares for 3-5 years in the future. Each one of them should have their own processes, activities and resources. Big companies have entire departments focused on innovation and development. Star-ups, small, and medium sized businesses are, however, more interesting for the Moravian-Silesian Region, as they can bring about necessary change. Most of these businesses unfortunately direct their innovation through intuition, and so their effectiveness is low. This is because their innovations are often created by their owners or individuals, who are forced to take on the role of an expert in whatever they have left of their free time. Companies do not have well defined innovation strategies, lack trained and prepared personnel, fail to create the conditions and space for innovation and do not use easy and accessible methods and tools. My task is to set the stage for a company’s innovation process and to guide them in their initial steps. I work with two major institutions from the Moravian-Silesian Region in this field, the Moravian-Silesian Innovation Center - MSIC and IdeaHUB. Together with other experts, we create the base of a net that effectively helps small and medium businesses in this area. MSIC can create platforms and conditions for meetings and cooperation between company representatives and experts in innovation. Experienced mentors moderate the innovation process within the companies with the help of methods such as Lean Canvas, Business Canvas, Design Sprint, etc. These systems allow for a structured, systematic and effective approach to innovation conception. Thanks to the IdeaHUB team and their methods for value analysis, and TRIS we can then support the creation of unique technical solutions and production of prototypes that have market validation. Through this cooperation, our New Dimension team develops its experts, innovation teams and leaders, so that the aforementioned activities can be handled well by the “Innovation Company.” These matters are not very “difficult,” regardless, many companies simply do not consider them, and that is what we try to change. How do you see it? Text: Miroslav Marek, expert inovací Foto: New Dimension, s.r.o. www.newdimension.cz POSITIV 4/2020 ǀ 55