Co-designing the Collaboration Centre Network
- Open and direct engagement with customers – potential and existing;
- Fail faster approach to product design and delivery – reducing times to market and impact of product redesigns;
- Clarity of and commitment to purpose across staff teams and suppliers through collaborative business planning – harnessing knowledge and skills of a wider community beyond the company;
Where to start?
It’s an ambitious programme: we don’t have all the answers, and it’s not set in stone. Developing a culture and framework that supports innovation through collaborative activity needs to involve experiencing the benefits of collaboration as well as open dialogue to identify the issues and blocks. So it feels right to bring the different parts of the supply chain – business, public sector and research communities, as well as customers – together to work this through.
The end-game is more than just a network of people and organisations. The CCN will pull together existing physical centres and networks to form a hub and spoke model of collaboration centres across the city region that supports a practical, customer-focused approach to product innovation and enterprise development that realises value across the supply chain.
However co-designing the CCN turns out, whatever shape it takes along the way, we will:
- capture the journey of development and implementation of the CCN.
- share updates that reflect the activity undertaken, including publishing raw notes and findings.
- foster debate and review of the CCN as it develops.
- encourage and support engagement from individuals and organisations interested in the opportunities, issues and ideas encapsulated by the SCR LEP CDI Strategy.
- be open and transparent to provide for public scrutiny.
What will happen next?
We know that there is a lot of thinking and doing already happening in the region which can inform how the CCN is taken forward. We want to learn from this by collaborating with existing activity where it naturally fits in.
Over the autumn and winter of 2011-2012 we’ll be running a programme of activity – face-to-face and online – to get feedback on and wider involvement in the Collaboration Centre Network. This kicks off with the CollaboJam roadshow: On the Road to Collaboration which will help identify what practical support for collaboration is needed, where and how. Delivering this support as consistently as possible across a network of collaboration centres in the region will follow.
At the same time we well also be identifying the partnerships and resources needed to realise the CCN, this will be informed by the roadshow.
Who can get involved?
We are committed to engaging individuals, businesses and organisations of all sizes who either produce, use or consume the tools, techniques, products or services of the creative and digital industries.
Some of the people and groups who have already got involved include:
- startups and freelancers
- established and growing businesses
- research groups and academic communities
- local authorities and public service providers
- third sector organisations, including social enterprises, charities and voluntary groups
- workspace, office hub and collaboration space managers
- investors, funders and business support services
We suspect there are many more who are experienced, interested or even just curious about collaboration and the CCN – all are welcome to join in and help shape this for the region.
Finding out more and feeding in
All activity will be supported by a regular blog on the CollaboJam website, which we will use to share updates, and also seek input through topical discussion and debate that feeds into the establishing of the CCN.
We don’t want this all to be led with our voice though, and invite guest contributors to offer insight and thought pieces to inform the process and outcomes.
We will also use other social media platforms such as the @collabojam Twitter channel and #cjam hashtag, and LinkedIn forums such as the Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership group.
In addition to sharing and engaging around the activities and outputs for the Collaboration Centre Network, we will publish research and signpost to other blogs and forums which can inform debate and offer practical advice.
What else will CollaboJam provide?
The Collaboration Centre Network activity is one aspect of a wider CDI strategy. We will share information from SCR LEP CDI, the CDI Sector Group and the CDI College of Associates. This includes:
- providing access to the evolving strategy documentation.
- publishing membership, minutes, agendas and supporting documentation.
- providing a mechanism for recruitment to the College and Sector Group.
- managing and communicating the work of the College, Sector Group and task groups.
We invite you to plug in
There are a number of practical ways to get involved.
- Sign Up to our current events and activities
If you run events and would like to share information about those directly with this community,
- get in touch to collaborate
- use our calendar to let people know about your event.
Also, please get in touch if you:
- operate or manage a space or building that could be part of the collaboration centre network.
- would like to share our updates with your networks or mailing lists.
- are interested in being a guest blogger to drive the collaboration centre network agenda forward.
Or just tell us what have we missed.
Finally for now, you can also get updates from the website direct to your mailbox by subscribing to the blog and via Twitter by following @collabojam.