Lancaster University Management School development programme delegates

Innovation Platforms for Knowledge Exchange

This five-month programme is designed for ambitious Preston business leaders, looking to grow their businesses in a way that enhances both people and planet. 

What are the Innovation Platforms?

The Innovation Catalyst is a Knowledge Exchange Platform, which leverages academic research and business practices to create mechanisms for engagement between external organisations and Lancaster University. The knowledge draws from expertise against the central Lancaster University themes. The interactions and platform seek to deliver transformational change.

Business leader delegate during a programme workshop.

How does the platform work?

The Platform operates at two levels:-Both aim to create transformation at a place or organisational level through a series of research informed interventions.

  • Place based innovation

    Innovation Catalyst for place-based change at a national and regional level to tackle shared challenges or opportunities posed by rapidly changing external environment

  • Organisational innovation

    Good Growth - to create sustainable growth and competitive advantage in the fast-changing external environment

SME delegates during a Lancashire programme workshop.

Why is innovation more complex?

With an increasingly complex and rapidly changing external environment, the social, economic, technological, security, environmental challenges become greater and more complex to navigate. There is a need for commitment to two key principles: innovation by accelerating transformational change, and collaboration, engaging with multiple stakeholders - citizens, academia, business, both small and large, and government. Leadership can bring together the key actors who can enact change, creating resilient organisations who are able to respond to external threats, often opting for disruptive, rather than incremental, innovation.

How can Lancaster University help to drive innovation?

Mick Gornall, Managing Director at Towers + Gornall

"Participating in the programme has been a game changer. It has re-invigorated our business mindset and has completely changed how we approach growth as a strategy. Profit is no longer the only focus."

Read full case study

Steve Kempster speaking at a Lancashire workshop
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