As part of the University’s ongoing relationship with the Institute of Innovation and Knowledge Exchange (IKE), Acceleration Though Innovation 2’s (ATI2) business engagement team have once again completed the Certificate of Professionalism in Innovation and have a total of 8 Certified Innovation Practitioners in Cornwall.
After welcoming new members to the ATI2 team and observing the rapid state of change in a post-Covid world, it was deemed time to update and refresh our innovation knowledge for this next phase of the project.
IKE is the UK professional body for innovators and it promotes innovation as a professional discipline. The institute develops new models and tools which help support and promote business innovation, whilst also conducting research and studies on the latest innovative trends.
Jo Hancock, ATI2 Programme Manager, said: “having a team of Certified Innovation Practitioners is a point of differentiation for our project, something we are proud of and that uniquely benefits the businesses we work with. Our clients often refer to our advisors as quality sounding boards, their knowledge of innovation and high level strategy sessions are all aspects of our support package which is strengthened by the latest IKE tools, research and expertise”.
ATI2 now has 8 certified team members skilled in the latest innovation knowledge and tools, this includes our Business Innovation Advisors and our wider engagement team delivering our Pop-Up Innovations Centres, workshops and events. This knowledge will not only open-up many opportunities for Cornish businesses working with the programme, but empower ATI2 staff to embrace innovation within their own roles and collaboratively as a team.
“It was a great session to get my head around the wider world of Innovation and how a business can gain many advantages from using Innovation practices within their organisation. It also gave me another angle to approach and implement Innovation within the businesses I work with”, said Mark Harris, ATI2 Business Innovation Officer and the newest member to join the programme.
The ATI2 project is the only funded support programme in Cornwall licensed to utilise the skills and knowledge provided by IKE, allowing the programme to offer world-renowned innovation support in a one-to-one or one-to-many setting.
Business Innovation Advisor, Rachel Roach, explains: “IKE’s tools and frameworks help us to talk to businesses about building innovation into their everyday practices. A standout tool that was covered in this session included ecosystem mapping to identify the pain points in a business; being aware of the customer journey and the user experience – I think this, along with the other new bits, will be really useful for the Cornish SMEs we work with.”
IKE’s knowledge, delivered through the ATI2 programme in Cornwall, will provide businesses with the opportunity to create a competitive advantage for their business, by upskilling their employees with the most current innovation techniques and global innovation trends and insights.