What is in an innovators DNA, and how does IdeasLab progress on that?

Do you ever wonder how big companies find innovative employees, or how you could become more entrepreneurial? Back in 2009, Harvard University completed a 6-year study after questioning what the components of ground breakers were. What makes Steve Jobs or Jeff Bezos stand out from all the rest? Their research narrowed down to four “discovery skills” that distinguish the most creative executives from the rest (Harvard Business Review, 2009): associating, questioning, experimenting, and networking. The purpose of IdeasLab is to help members of the NUIGalway student community find their inner innovator, and put these skills into action, through the many different programmes and initiatives in place, from early start-ups to the normal college student looking to expand their skillset.??

Associating is the ability to connect ideas, problems, and questions from unrelated fields. This is proven to be a core part of the innovators DNA, creating the Medici effect, causing new ideas to flourish, through diversity. In IdeasLab we have the Enterprise Challenge, where students work in teams, to solve problems for the Enterprise Partners (Aerogen, Boston Scientific, Channel Mechanics, Galway International Arts Festival, Medtronic, MYBRONICS, Rent the Runway, SAP, and? Veryan Medical), using each student’s different background to create a solution for a real-life problem. The programme takes place every semester, and we would highly recommend you get involved!?

The most successful entrepreneurs have stand out questions that determined their whole venture. For Michael Dell, his questioning led for him to start Dell Computers, after querying why computers were sold for 5 times their parts. Michael Dell had to ask ‘why, why not and what if?’ to create a ground-breaking business model. IdeasLab provides Design Thinking Sprints with our Enterprise Partners to help students pose the questions to their problems and use their skills to generate an answer. After this process, students can enter the Start 100 accelerator programme. This enables students, with €4000 funding, to work on their business idea, proving their solution within 100 days. Start 100 helps the student find opportunities and funding beyond the programme and university, making your start-up last.??

Experimenting often is associated with scientists in labs, mixing chemicals, but experimenting proves to be an essential part of innovating. Through experimentation, we see solutions tested and improved, creating prototypes, or launching pilots. Innovative entrepreneurs often engage in intellectual exploration, taking apart solutions, wondering how it works, and why it works. In IdeasLab, we obviously have Start 100 which enables the young entrepreneur to test their idea, but we also provide the Empathy Lab, which allows the user to engage with their surroundings, and ‘walk in the shoes of others’. The lab has an excellent level of technology available to the student, from simulation suits to VR headsets, and online tools. In the words of Thomas Edison, one of the world’s most successful innovators:?

?“I have not failed 10,000 times—I've successfully found 10,000 ways that will not work.”?

Through experimentation, Thomas Edison built on his ideas, and eventually created many forms of media we still used today. In IdeasLab we aspire to enable the student to do the same.??

Lastly, we have networking, a word often associated with LinkedIn, the buzz word among the 21st century student community. The purpose of networking is to expand your knowledge, meet other innovators with different ideas and solutions. We offer networking opportunities among all opportunities available in IdeasLab,? but especially through our 10 paid Internships programme, through Coaching and Mentoring available within the lab, or our new seminar series Meet the Industry Partner??, hosted by our Enterprise Partners weekly. Through this, students can expand their professional connections while being apart of something much bigger. In IdeasLab we aim to cultivate curiosity and ideation, nurture creativity and innovation while activating entrepreneurship.??