By Caroline Ingram November 21, 2013
News

The synthesis for the Jisc Access to Resources and Open Innovation (OIA2R) initiative is now published.

Dip in to find case studies from the projects outlining what they did, why they did it, and how you could also set up collaborative partnerships to bring agility to your institution to better thrive in a competitive environment.

OIA2R projects were … funded to develop new online platforms …, community relationships and social networks of exchange, to demonstrate the practical value of innovative and sustainable mutual engagement.

There is a growing role for higher and further education (HE/FE) in innovation, business growth and knowledge exploitation. Using technology to link HE/FE institutions to their external partners has been shown to be effective if a sufficiently engaging approach is taken. Carefully managed engagement was key in the most successful projects, not relying on a “build it and they will come approach”.

Benefits from working together

Existing and emerging technologies have a role in helping HE/FE institutions compete for partnership and commercialisation opportunities. The universities and colleges involved in this Jisc funded OIA2R initiative led partnerships with other institutions, businesses, SMEs, and local government bodies.

Establishing simple platforms and communication channels through which ideas can be co-developed has led to cost savings and efficiency gains. Initially partnerships are often local, but successful solutions are easily transferable to other contexts.

Calls to Action

Achieving the online co-development of ideas is a tall order. Trust is a major issue. Engaging users early, understanding their needs and putting in safeguards to protect people, businesses and intellectual property allowed innovation to flourish.

The synthesis has resulted in a series of ‘calls to action’. These are grounded in evidence. Jisc has pump-primed long term sustainable solutions, locally and nationally. The calls capture the lessons and identify points of good practice in achieving better collaboration with external partners for innovation and access to resources in these areas:

• Identifying and assessing new project or change opportunities
• Managing the project effectively to maximise the efficiency of internal institutional partnerships
• Effective use of technology and existing platforms
• Effective engagement with external communities
• Effective and innovative partnership with other HEIs

You can download a two page summary sheet for use as a quick reference tool, outlining things to consider if you want to open up innovation opportunities and access to resources at your institution.