At the heart of every innovation lies a collective effort to bridge gaps, leverage insights, and cultivate skills. Recognizing this ethos, the Centre for Innovation Management (CIMR) is thrilled to announce the upcoming online event ‘Skills for Innovation Workshop‘ on April 24th, 10 AM – 3:15 PM BST in collaboration with City-REDI, University of Birmingham, and the IRC.
Follow this link to sign up to the event: Join the guestlist – Skills for Innovation Workshop – Zoom, Wed 24 Apr 2024 10:00 AM – 3:15 PM (tickettailor.com)
Morning Research Exchange: Unveiling the Dynamics of Innovation Skills
The workshop will comprise of four parts, in the morning it will unfold with a panoramic view of the UK’s innovation landscape, exploring challenges, trends, and opportunities. As the morning progresses, attention shifts towards the pivotal roles of ecosystem actors in fostering innovation. From early business start-up accelerators to university-industry collaborations, the discourse navigates through diverse avenues of competence development and knowledge exchange. The spotlight then turns to the vital nexus between university graduates and regional skills. By exploring the dynamics of university-related migration and graduates’ contributions to high-tech enterprises, the discussions aim to decipher the transformative potential of regional skill ecosystems.
Afternoon Policy-Research Panel Discussion: Bridging the Policy-Evidence-Research Gap
In the afternoon session, the focus sharpens on policy-research synergies in the realm of innovation skills. A distinguished panel of experts will illuminate the contours of the Innovation Skills Framework, navigating through topics ranging from R&I workforce dynamics to STEM education equity. Through a collaborative exchange of ideas, participants will unravel the nuances of regional policy perspectives, paving the way for actionable insights and tangible outcomes
Event Agenda
AM Research exchange
10.00-10.10 Welcome – Objectives of the morning and the day
Why ‘skills for innovation’? Who are the stakeholders, and what intervention would be needed?
10.10-10.55 Part 1 – Setting the scene – UK’s innovation and skills issues
- UK’s skills challenges – Industrial Strategy Council revisited
- Shaping the innovation skills: Trends, challenges, and opportunities in the UK’s R&D workforce
- Training for micro-businesses and SMEs to innovate: Evidence from the UK Longitudinal Small Business Survey
Open discussion (15 min) – all
10.55– 11.40 Part 2 – Roles of ecosystem actors
- Addressing knowledge imbalance: skills acquired in an early business start-up accelerator
- Emerging Business Models and Competence Development for Digital Innovation Intermediaries
- University-industry collaboration – a view from Space industry
Open discussion (15 min) – all
11.40-12.15 Part 3– University graduates and regional skills
1) University-related migration and implications for skills at the sub-regional scale
2) Graduates’ contribution to the growth and development of high-tech, knowledge-driven, high-growth enterprises: the case of the Waterford Region in Ireland
Open discussion (15 min) – all
12.15- 12.50 Part 4 – Regional Policy perspectives on Skills for Innovation
- Regional Inequality – Modelling R&D Spending, Labour Demand and Supply
- Regional Digital Skills Demand and Shortages
Open discussion (15 min) – all
12.50 -1.00 Ways forward – How do we take the collaborative momentum forward?
1.00-1.45 pm Break
PM Policy – Research Panel Discussion
1.45-1.50 Welcome (back)
1.50-3.00 Policy – Research Panel Discussion – Skills for Innovation – How do we fill gaps between policy-evidence – research?
- Scene setting – Innovation Skills Framework
- R&I workforce and technician career
- Roles of higher education
- STEM education and equity angle
- Regional policy perspectives on skills for innovation
Discussions – views from researchers and funders; gaps and ways forward?
3.00 – 3.15 Ways forward – key takeaways, action plans
Please note that the workshop will be delivered in a hybrid mode and we will capture contributions from online participants via the chat box as much as feasible throughout the day.
Join us at the event and register below!
