Learning about innovation

. A range of speakers – many of them winners at last year’s Innovation & Design Excellence Awards (iDEAs) – will share their experiences of introducing and maintaining innovation within their companies. Phil O’Donovan of CSR – last year’s overall iDEA winner – will speak on the subject of innovating in a fast-moving market. He will tell delegates how CSR developed an effective innovation strategy. Professor Keith Goffin returns to the conference. He was the undoubted star speaker of last year’s event — challenging delegates to think beyond market research and conventional customer feedback in an attempt to identify ‘hidden’ needs. This year, he explains the link between company culture and innovation. Other iDEA winners will share their tips on developing innovative cultures and products include: Fortress Interlocks, which won the Green Innovation award, will talk about fostering and managing innovation to develop a company-wide culture of creativity; The Technology Partnership will make the link between market research and product innovation; and Triteq — which won two awards last year — handles the thorny issue of collaboration. The Innovation Conference 2007 is held at the Staverton Park Hotel in Daventry on 24 April. To book a place, contact Jackie Hall on jacqueline.hall@cranfield.ac.uk, telephone 01234 754505, fax 01234 752691.