How can you build an innovation community in an academic environment?

An idea worth wondering upon, a question yet to be answered in hundreds or thousands of connotations and historical beliefs. I say this because innovation in anything didn't just happen overnight and we need to be able to understand that it took generations to carry on the knowledge of what we live in today. Of whatever we see around us in screens, light, connectivity, human anatomy and its advancements in healthcare. All these broad categorical trees of information and knowledge took years to build in what we believe to see as of now, it was so not easy for our earlier generations. This doesn't only come with conviction in knowledge but also the belief to change the future of humanity for the sake of finding more meaning in life.

There's an innovator in all of us. Discovery is all that is needed at first. In an academic setting, interest/drive/enthusiasm/competition is mostly at its peak. Great grounds of leverage. Here's where we define what our vision and values are - most fertile ground for that to sink in and grow. Here's where we get direct feedback from the equally enthusiastic community, which then helps us refine and move forward. People in this environment absorb the "whats", "whos", "whens", "hows", "whys" the most because both you and they want the same thing - it's then all about alignment and fine-tuning. Timing is key here. Clarity of your thought shows that community that you know what you want and then they start rallying-up behind you.

I have found in joining the Transport Unit IDentifier Working Group (TUIDWG) which is a special working group dedicated to the pilot and scaling of the Transport Unit IDentifier (TUID) methodology in the United States has helped educate me to understand innovation trends. As an example, The Transport Unit IDentifier (TUID) is a unique identifier for a load where the goods movement process has reached a status when there is an authorized order for shipment. ISO 8000 Part 119 is Master data: Exchange of transport unit identifiers: application of ISO 8000-115 to the formatting of transport unit identifiers. This standard, currently at Committee Draft stage, specifies the requirements for a transport unit identifier (TUID).

Defining a clear vision and set of values is fundamental in establishing an innovation community, as it shapes the community's purpose, guiding principles, and the way success is measured and communicated. This clarity not only attracts members who resonate with these ideals but also ensures that the community's activities are in harmony with the broader goals and values of the institution it's part of.

A clear path and goal can help you make it better. Choose wisely professional people for more learning and enhance your communication chances. In my experience when you choose the people who already work in professional and large or impactful organizations they can help you grow. I have done a Google Crowdsource influencer program at my university during my academic period. That was one of my best experiences because I met many people who were great explorers and professionals, I interacted directly with Googlers. So explore the programs and join them. PS: Make a professional connection with me to learn from each other.

In my opinion, pull out a few student leaders and give them power, control and necessary funding and tell them the idea and give them permission and free hand without micromanaging and restricting and you'll see that it isn't that tough of a job to do and this is something that I have seen countless times in my life.

I am a firm believer that no one is "dumb". It's a skill and/or will issue. And both can be addressed equally effectively. All that is needed is some form of encouragement and incentivization and other strategic levers. This community will have individual strengths and strengths as-a-team. Two different things. Working on individual strengths (and not focusing on "weaknesses") is something I learnt working for one of the top IT firms some time back. The work done on people on their strengths far outweighed the focus on the weaknesses. Needless to mention the time it saved to get an innovation project completed successfully. Identify strategists, implementers, advocates, critics - all-rounded, to get to a successful innovation project.

This community needs to have access to material to sharpen their skills and also learn new concepts and techniques/technologies. Remember this is a very potent set of team members - hungry to add value and shine. The demand is high. The supply also better be high. Planning a repository pertaining to your innovation project, of content/journals/blogs/news/case-studies, etc would help these "hungry minds" to consume and thus gain more confidence. Setting expectations of camaraderie and collaboration is critical for success. Setting expectations that there is no "one individual winner" - we either succeed as a one team or fail together. That forces people in this community to adjust/fine-tune/tone-up or down their behaviors towards each other.

To make sure students are evolved. They are able to think and voice clear, concrete opinions. Give them materials and ask them to analyze and critique. Asynchronous worksheets help them to solve and come up with solutions. Case studies for discussions. Ask them to present with solutions for problems. A collaborative method to pair and share is the best method to showcase their talents and share and care.

During my own PhD experience, I realized that academic researchers lack the skills to showcase their accomplishments. I think they can build a strong social media presence like Twitter and LinkedIn to create an innovation community in academia and industry. In this way they can highlight the real-world impact of their work, moving beyond simple publications. They can proudly own and celebrate their awards. If they are actively participating in industry partnerships, it's also valuable to highlight this involvement. It showcases their dedication to extending their research beyond the lab, taking steps to commercialize their work for faster societal, environmental, and economic impact.

I'd read on a social media platform many years back - "You cannot teach someone by making them feel bad". That also to me means that you cannot achieve much if you don't celebrate your team's/team members' contributions/successes. A conscious demonstration of the same puts you as the leader in a respectable position which in itself has its own benefits to further the cause of shared success. Visibility is paramount in our age and industry. Showing these charged-up individuals that you are proactively celebrating them is an investment that will reap benefits for both the team and their leader. They need to see that you maintain a fine balance of holding them accountable vs/and celebrating them. That's only fair.

Inculcate a strong culture of feedback - east-west/north-south. Inculcate a culture of not taking things personally when people say things you didn't expect - it's called maturity. The key here is to help this community understand that feedback is for their own benefit - without fear of retribution/reprimand. Wasn't it one of the Agile concepts where people should be free to speak up w/out fear? The team needs to understand the Agile concept of “The best architectures, requirements, and designs emerge from self-organizing teams”. Feedback is the one of the most essential cogs in the Agile development life-cycle. The community needs to be able to trust each other. As a leader it is your job to make that happen.

To build an innovative community in an academic environment, foster collaboration by organizing interdisciplinary events, promoting open communication, and providing platforms for idea-sharing. Encourage mentorship programs, establish innovation hubs, and support diverse perspectives to stimulate creativity.

Embracing collaborative efforts is essential, considering the possibilities achievable through group. In Genomics field, notable examples include multicentric activities, as seen in The Human Genome Project, and, more recently, in the Global Biobank Meta-analysis Initiative, that brings together biobanks worldwide for extensive genetic projects.Transparency within the team is crucial, as well as defining roles and responsibilities for each member. Is vital bringing onboard individuals not only skilled but also collaborative, who recognize the importance of teamwork and shared goals in the landscape of emerging technologies. So we can use collective expertise in the realization of impactful discoveries.

Innovation work should not only be limited to educational institution even though it starts in the academic setting. It works well when innovation work includes some government entities as well as private sector entities. This type of partnership will help innovation prosper in various areas. Additionally, it will help participants / students much broader and better exposure.