In order to develop and strengthen the West Midlands innovation ecosystem we need an evidence-based, practical approach to support innovation activity in the region post-COVID-19.
We are participating in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Regional Entrepreneurship Acceleration Program in the UK (MIT REAP-UK). The aim of this program is to help shape the opportunities available to help businesses grow and develop after the COVID-19 crisis, and especially to accelerate innovation-driven entrepreneurship in our region.
Objectives of this Work:
Understand the key strengths and weaknesses of our innovation ecosystem
Evaluate the engagement and level of collective action of our ecosystem Stakeholders
Design a Strategy to strengthen and catalyse our ecosystem to build innovation-driven enterprises
Find resources and engage stakeholders to move strategy into Implementation
Benefits of Participation:
Gave us a framework with which to analyse what is a complex system
Set us a timetable to drive the research
Encouraged us to come together as a collective to share insights
Provided a forum
Helped us to appreciate and celebrate the strength of our ecosystem
Highlighted the strength of linkages and collaborations
Understand what further work needs to be done
Hear more from WMCA Innovation Lead, Jamie Elliott, on next steps here…
Call to Action:
We’re looking for partners to help sense check on our approach;
Help us to identify places we compare to internationally;
Help identify best practice can we access from those areas;
Help build collaborations with those areas.
Slingshot