|
Collaborative Networks
|
-
Collaborative Networks
-
-
Competition may be a key motivator for many businesses in today's fast-paced markets. But developing and participating in cooperative networks with others in your industry can help your company get farther ahead – and faster than you imagined – than traditional competitive approaches. Such efforts also can help boost regional economies by creating recognized centers of excellence that can, in turn, draw new expertise to the area.
Fostering such collaboration between agencies, academia, nonprofits and for-profits is a key goal for InnovateNow, but this effort is a work in progress. We're still identifying successful examples and best practices that groups can use to build such networks in the Chicagoland region and across the state. But we do have an idea of what the InnovateNow model will include:
• Inclusive rather than exclusive memberships, drawing from businesses – from start-up to mature, venture capital, academia, national laboratories and other leading subject matter experts.
• Dynamic and market-driven directions that can refocus as markets and technologies evolve.
• Regular communications within the group that are supplemented by industry-specific forums, meetings and special-topic communications.
• Open dialogue fostered by cutting-edge open-source technology and leading public and private web-based resources, such as Innocentive.com, iBridgeNetwork.org and Yet2.com.
|
Chicago "Waste to Profit" Network
|
Chamber/InnoCentive Global Challenge
By utilizing open-innovation, these groups posed a global challenge to decrease greenhouse gas emissions in the Chicago region by increasing public transit ridership.
|
||||
|
FONA International
FONA International has developed new ways to serve its customers' businesses, and, as a result, the company has gained new insights that are informing its own marketing efforts.
|
Microsoft Elevate America
Dollars for professional development are tight during economic downturns but that’s just the time when employees need a boost. Unemployment is high, but people need retraining to secure 21st century jobs. Enter Microsoft Elevate America, a public-private partnership with the State of Illinois to offer 50,000 free vouchers for online computer training.
|
