John Whatmore
John Whatmore will be blogging on the innovation ecosystem: what he calls the "powerful undertow of invention and cross-fertilisation among products, services, processes, IT and business models".
Follow John's blog as he explores the latest thinking in how creativity can be harnessed and used to secure a golden future for the UK.
The innovation ecosystem has opened up. Once confined to research institutions, university research and corporate R&D, it now includes customers and suppliers, science parks and venture capital, incubators and accelerators, and myriad intermediaries. It extends to public services, social enterprise and local innovations. It is now a much wider world in which finding and developing collaborations and partnerships is itself a big opportunity for creativity.
A bit about John
John has worked in industry all of his life, most recently as chairman of a group of venture capital companies. He has also had a parallel career in local politics and local institutions, especially housing associations in London. Belbin recognises him as a co-ordinator and a creater.
They will need to provide communal workspaces, mentors with specific expertise and with contacts, and expert architects of networking; access to formal learning programmes about aspects of business; support in developing business plans, and practice in pitching; and they will be offering concentrated 'accelerator' programmes for the development of new businesses.
24.05.2012I spent a day last week on teleconferences with a number of charities, trying to help them to articulate a big problem of theirs - which they had agreed to submit to a 'Troubleshooter Day' - to be run by a big telecommunications corporate as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility work.
17.05.2012The Wilson Report on University Collaboration gets down to the specifics: better contacts between universities and business that could help turn ideas into practical benefits. But strong leadership is needed to bring them about.
04.05.2012
T +44 (0)20 7438 2500
F +44 (0)20 7438 2501
Nesta Operating Company, a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales with company number 7706036 and charity number 1144091. Registered as a charity in Scotland number SC042833.
