Networking works
Posted by: clareoneill on: November 13, 2009
How important are networks and communities in building successful markets? It’s a question that anyone looking at this year’s Nobel prize for economic sciences just has to ask themselves.
Professor Elinor Ostrom is the first woman to win the prize. She’s been recognised for her work on “the Commons” – meaning anything that’s collectively owned, such as common land.
Before Elinor came along, conventional economic theory was that if there is a commonly-owned resource, the people who own it will always act individually in their own self-interest – and ultimately damage or destroy the whole resource, so that everybody loses. It’s a pretty sorry reflection of the human race.
She challenged this dogma. She showed that commons can in fact be managed in a way that leads to shared prosperity, if the individuals using it can develop the right methods and institutions to manage it.
In recent years her work has been proven by many of you reading this. If you’ve used ‘open source’ software, you’re part of a self-policing network that allows commonly-owned assets to be used widely, rather than used up. By acting as a community rather than a set of individuals, everybody wins.
There must be products and services other than software that this could apply to – I’d love to hear your views.
The secret of success for growth business
Posted by: nigelbarlow on: November 13, 2009
When Guinness decided that they wanted to expand their market into Europe,they saw Germany as the biggest growth area.After all the Germans are the biggest beer drinkers on the continent so why wouldn’t they drink the black velvet?
Well they didn’t and Guinness ended up with less than 1 per cent of the market.The reason-well Germans prefer light beers and have an affinity to local breweries.
If one message came out of last night’s Managing Growth – Tech Entrepreneur Series held in Manchester,it was that to successfully grow a business,listen to what your customer wants,and understand who your customers are
Speaking were Chris Allen,instrumental in the founding of Laterooms.com back before the first dot com crash and Steve Purdham who co-founded Surf Control, a global provider of internet filtering software and is now one of the names behind free online music service we7.com teaming up with Genesis front-man Peter Gabriel.
Both gave some of the secrets of their success to an assembled audience of entrepreneurs and funders last night.
Chris has worked for 40 years in what he described as the second oldest profession in the world,hotels.Working withinPremium Inns,he tore up the business model of selling rooms,decided that customers wanted something a little more special than their own bedrooms.
Instead he offered them such innovations as the trouser press and satellite television.
It is a pressure business he said because it is a commodity you can only sell once.
After leaving the business he set up LateRooms.com and again tried to tear up the business model by offering hotels a direct fee model instead of the more traditional percentage cut.When this failed to take off he decided to differentiate by giving his customers more choice and a personal level of service,often manning the call centre himself to find out exactly what they wanted.
What the customer wants according to Steve Purdham is free music.At WE7,they have created an environment that customers like,you get a free song and you get an advert to pay for it.
A simple model says Steve,publicised not by advertising and PR but by word of mouth.”If you like it you will tell your friends”.
For both entrepreneurs people are at the heart of any growth model.According to Steve,the biggest restrictor of growth is the person in charge wanting to keep control and not delegate.You must have the courage to move people on if they are in the wrong slot and create gaps to bring new people in.
For Chris,a good entrepreneur needs good people around.These people will grow with the company.
The proof is in the pudding and both men have successfully sold their businesses on for a considerable premium.
For Chris his company was sold in 2007 to First Choice for £120 million in 2007, two years after a MBO.For Steve his Surf control company was sold to US rival Websense in 2007 for £201 million in 2007.Now We7 vies for the free music market along with its better known rival Spotify.
Nokia Services Executive Vice President Tero Ojanpera
Posted by: nigelbarlow on: November 11, 2009
Fascinating interview which covers how the mirror version of the real world that is being created virtually will enhance the sophistication of communications across the globe.
via Ideas Project
How mobile may one day prevent that visit to the Doctor’s surgery
Posted by: nigelbarlow on: November 10, 2009
The future of the web is mobile.The rush to produce apps that translate content and information to the hand-held device is on.
Yesterday’s announcement that Google had agreed to acquire AdMob, the fast-growing mobile advertising start-up,show that the innovative company has realised once again where the future is.
It now seems that the latest use for the mobile may well be as a replacement for the Doctor’s surgery.With signs on every surgery door instructing not to enter on pain of death if you display any flu like symptoms,the Telegraph reports on a new initiative.
Software being developed by American and Australian scientists will hopefully allow patients simply to cough into their phone, and it will tell them whether they have cold, flu, pneumonia or other respiratory diseases.
Apparently the science behind it is the wetness of the cough.
Whether a cough is dry or wet, or “productive” or “non-productive” (referring to the presence of mucus on the lungs), can give a doctor information about what is causing that cough, for example whether it is caused by a bacterial or a viral infection.
Who’s the Most Admired Knowledge City-Region in the World?
Posted by: coralgrainger on: November 6, 2009
We are!
Today, in Schenzen China, Manchester has officially been declared the Most Admired Knowledge City-Region in the World!
An international panel of experts have today named Manchester ‘The Most Admired Knowledge City Region’ at the MAKCi global awards ceremony in Schenzen, China, topping other city regions such as Bangalore and Valencia.
The judges commended Manchester’s connectivity, culture, civic identity and overall quality of life. Manchester also scored highly for the way in which it has built on its heritage and its radical, ethical and sustainable core values. Whilst remaining true to these values, as a city we have continued along a trajectory of renewal and transformation, into the highly creative and innovative city we are today, leading the way in the 21st Century.
Dr Cathy Garner, CEO of Manchester: Knowledge Capital, said:
“This award is fantastic recognition of Manchester: Knowledge Capital’s achievements over the past five years. The Manchester: Knowledge Capital partnership enables the city region to capitalise on its outstanding universities, the creativity of its people and its capacity for world-changing innovation. Through Innovation Manchester, we are continuing to build an even stronger future for the Manchester City Region.”
From steam ships to ebooks via disruptive innovation
Posted by: nigelbarlow on: November 2, 2009
Technology and changes in technology play a very important role in innovation.
We often hear the words disruptive technology but what does it actually mean?
Disruptive technology is quite simply an innovation that destroys the value of an existing technology and creates new market for a particular product or service.
A disruptive innovation technology can create what is essentially a new industry or can harm a learning process for a particular industry. Some industries are better able to adapt due to their greater resources,skills and ability to gain access quickly to the new technology.
When a disruptive technology creates a new industry, competitors usually follow.
One example is the introduction of the steam ship.When they were first introduced ,steam ships were not reliable enough to travel trans-Atlantic distances, they couldn’t travel far without breaking down, and they were inclined to blow up.
Steamships-UlyssesAndNestor-500
Steam ships were able to find a niche in lake and river transport, where the distances were short, and where they had the advantage of being able to travel against the wind and on wind-still days.
Whilst in the niche market they were able to work on improving the technology and soon the age of sail across the Atlantic was confined to leisure and the history books.
Bringing that example forwards to today and maybe E books are in the same situation.
They have failed so far to penetrate the reading market,Screen quality, user interface being the main problems.But they could find their niche in reference and journals where their cheapness and ease of publication will give them a competitive advantage.
Once their problems are ironed out maybe the book will go the way of the sail?
Introducing Ropid the Robot
Posted by: nigelbarlow on: October 30, 2009
Manchester has been invaded by robots recently but check out this video of ROPID the walking, running, and jumping robot.
Ht-Braden Kelly
Manchester Beacon hosts a week of events
Posted by: nigelbarlow on: October 30, 2009
News of another event coming to Manchester in the next couple of weeks.
The Manchester Beacon is organising a week long series of events around Manchester.For those who don’t know the Beacon,they use engagement to connect people, places and knowledge to make its internationally acclaimed resources accessible to all.
The events kick off on Monday 9th Nov at the Kanaris Theatre, Manchester Museum where Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell, Deputy President and Deputy Vice Chancellor at The University of Manchester will give an opening address to launch the Manchester Beacon summit.
There will be a chance to hear short presentations by the holders of The University of Manchester Development Awards and the Manchester Science Festival Community Awards – projects that are exploring two-way engagement with local communities or approaches to university cultural change around public engagement.This will be followed by a networking luncheon.
For a full listing of events,check out the details HERE
What would you talk about at BarCamp Manchester 2?
Posted by: coralgrainger on: October 28, 2009
If conversation is key to innovation, then events like BarCamp play an important role in our Innovation Ecosystem.
Innovation Manchester members may be interested to know that on Saturday 7 and Sunday 8th November, a BarCamp will be held at the Contact Theatre.
BarCamp Manchester 2 is an open, free-to-attend, participatory 2-day unconference. Unconferences differ from normal conferences in that the schedule is created and filled by the attendees with everyone running a session or talk about whatever subject they have a passion for. From Cocktail Making to Programming for Beginners, from Arduino Hacking to Photography, BarCamps attract people from all sorts of backgrounds, each sharing their expertise and experiences.
BarCamp attendees come from all walks of life and ages 8-80; what they have in common is a passion for stimulating conversations and expanding their own knowledge. They love to give back to the community and a BarCamp is the perfect place to do this.
BarCamp attendees are not only the great thinkers of today, but the great thinkers of tomorrow. They are excited by the diversity of discussions and insights that are achieved in the intellectual melting pot that is BarCamp.
Additionally, if you know anyone who might like to sponsor the event, you can get in touch with the organisers through us here at Innovation Manchester. Sponsorship options range from £100 upwards, or provision of food, drinks, t-shirts etc. Options are very flexible!
Thanks for reading – please feel free to add to this discussion and tell us what you would talk about, or like to hear at an Unconference. Please feed back your experience (& photo’s) of the event, or even better, your talk there! Enjoy!
CoMixed- Remixing thoughts on Science and the Future
Posted by: coralgrainger on: October 28, 2009
An exciting and varied debate about the future, at the Manchester CoMixed discussion.
A series of provocations on the scientific challenges of our time including Climate Change, Digital Economy, Ageing, Food Security and Nanotechnology. Thoughts are remixed into a cooperative production by the Manchester Beacon’s network of people, places and knowledge.
Panellists include:
- Warren Bramley (Creative Director at Four23)
- Dr. Martyn Amos (Principle Investigator on Nano-Info-Bio, Manchester Metropolitan University)
- Professor Remco Polman (Director of Centre for Applied Sport and Exercise Sciences, Principal Investigator Medical Research Council Lifelong Health and Wellbeing Grant)
- Professor Callum Thomas (Professor of Sustainable Aviation, Centre for Air Transport and the Environment, OMEGA, Manchester Metropolitan University
- Professor John Whittle (Professor of Software Engineering, Lancaster Business School)
- Kate Bailey (Senior Research Associate, Cardiff Business School)
John Whittle is currently talking about a vision of the future where we can see into peoples minds, and understand what makes them tick. A previous ‘twitter sceptic’, John now sees twitter as an early indicator of future technology that will increase mutual understanding and relationships in society.
My favourite quote so far is from Martin Amos, and his assertion that “Bio-Hacking already happens in people’s kitchens”.
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Sent from my BlackBerry Wireless Handheld
