WHAT INNOVATION MEANS TO EDUCATION

WHAT INNOVATION MEANS TO EDUCATION

 

Failure to innovate is a prime source of business failure and the challenge for most companies as they set out on the path of innovation is to continue to do their core business while developing the new business.

It's about refining processes, repositioning brands, product improvement, and developing new product.

The same challenges apply to the higher education sector as students around the world become more time-poor, with ever increasing work and family demands, searching beyond their geographic boundaries for innovative thinking online.

Universities operating in the online space will need to collaborate, to deliver a wide variety of delivery models while they continue to operate in the traditional way of lecture/tutorial. These models must include: developing online learning communities in virtual modes; joint qualifications; and a range of new multidisciplinary degrees that cater to the needs of a highly mobile international workforce.

Australian universities are already podcasting, using ilearn technology for broadcasting their content to remote and city based students alike. Alliances between like branded institutions will become necessary to grow opportunity for students and as new entities arise when the not-for-profit world inevitably collides with commerce.

Universities will form tighter business, philanthropic and research relationships to improve outcomes for students and staff.

The future of universities is quickly becoming a race for the best "killer differentiator", whether that's an integration of a process with teaching software, or a way of creating better modes of learning that are scaleable or the blending of qualifications.

To thrive in the future, universities need to become more agile with their processes and products, develop innovative alliances with each other and business, and look at delivering an enriched student experience.

Stuart Hamilton, chief executive officer,
Open Universities Australia

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WHAT INNOVATION MEANS TO INFRASTRUCTURE

WHAT INNOVATION MEANS TO INFRASTRUCTURE

 

The driver of innovation is like an unquenchable thirst - it may not be a particularly comfortable journey but with perseverance it can lead to extraordinary solutions. Whatever journey your thirst may take you on, innovation always starts by owning up to the fact that "You don't know what you don't know".

This proposition applies equally to infrastructure as it should in any part of the economy. Infrastructure Partnerships Australia (IPA) began less than 12 months ago and it is a manifestation of the thirst to innovate - its mandate is to create more options to finance, deliver and operate infrastructure that will meet the rising expectations of the community. Now Australia's largest infrastructure
industry association, IPA's rapid launch reflects a need for enduring relationships between government and business.

Building partnerships, mutual respect and understanding on issues like improving the quality and sustainability of public service delivery and ways of alleviating water restrictions are vexing for government. But governments are not alone in this endeavour and tapping the innovation, entrepreneurialism and the tsunami of superannuation savings in the private sector must be in the mix of solutions to ensure Australia has the right infrastructure to meet its needs in the decades ahead.

It is critical that the thirst to innovate and improve infrastructure by governments and the private sector exists, because in partnership with IPA our journey together to deliver to the community the right infrastructure on time and on budget can occur without exception.

Garry Bowditch, executive director,
Infrastructure Partnerships Australia

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WHAT INNOVATION MEANS TO PHARMACISTS

WHAT INNOVATION MEANS TO PHARMACISTS

Community pharmacy is recognised for its willingness to adopt new, innovative technologies and strategies in its mission to provide the highest standard of pharmacy and health care services to the Australian community.

Whether those innovations are technological, systematic or strategic in nature, pharmacists and the Pharmacy Guild of Australia have developed the necessary infrastructure and culture to implement innovation quickly and in such a way as to deliver significant benefits to the public.

Pharmacy presents a complex and everchanging landscape in which the Guild and its members must successfully navigate. New medicines, advances in IT and other technologies, shifting demographics and constantly changing community expectations require pharmacy to embrace innovative measures to keep up with public demands.

Recent innovations include the ongoing development of a national database that will provide greater scope for utilising health information for the benefit of the patient.

Another is Project STOP, an online recording and reporting system that gives pharmacists, police and health authorities real time access to a database of suspicious pseudoephedrine reports, which will help block illegitimate access for the purposes of creating illegal - not to mention dangerous - amphetamines.

From a health care point of view, there is widespread agreement about the merits of a national electronic health information system, where information is seamlessly shared among pharmacists, prescribers, Medicare Australia and with the main beneficiaries of such a system - consumers.

The Guild shares this vision with government and other stakeholders, although questions of how to best implement that vision remains an ongoing challenge, which we are working with others to ensure the right outcome.

Kieran Schneeman, chief executive officer,
Pharmacy Guild of Australia

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WHAT INNOVATION MEANS TO TELECOMMUNICATIONS

WHAT INNOVATION MEANS TO TELECOMMUNICATIONS 

 

Broadband has had a profound impact worldwide, enabling the creation of an online ecosystem that has allowed companies like You Tube, Amazon and Google to flourish.

In the mobile world, to date we have lacked sufficient coverage or speed to duplicate this development. However, with the evolution of next generation mobile networks, there are now benefits to users that range from entertainment to new productivity tools and ways of managing remote areas. Telstra's Next G network now covers 98% of the Australian population, and offers downloads in the megabit/second range.

This opens up applications that previously were unheard of. For instance, a new sensor system linked with a camera can provide a farming client with constant view of a water trough for cattle, saving a 120km drive every day. Another farmer can transmit video signals across the globe for an auction from their property. Our own employees, with a data card in their laptop, can have high speed internet access to company files wherever they travel.

So far, over a dozen other countries have made enquiries on the technical aspects of our mobile broadband system.

We're proud to be playing a part in this communication innovation and, importantly, we believe the Next G network will provide a platform for others in Australia to continue that process of innovation.

Hugh Bradlow, chief technology officer,
Telstra

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WHAT INNOVATION MEANS TO APPLIANCES

WHAT INNOVATION MEANS TO APPLIANCES 

 

We have steadily applied innovation and change to our operations since Fisher & Paykel's inception over 70 years ago. In New Zealand we pioneered a very simple but effective novelty - that of designating exclusive dealers, something which was unheard of. This provided the first platform for our growth.

Decades later, a conscious decision was made to begin creating our own designs. We actively sought the best industrial design and engineering skills available and began
forging a close knit team of around 15 designers and 300 engineers. In spurring their efforts, our overall culture of freedom and entrepreneurship has been present since the days of foundation which has lead them to create wonderful products because no one is afraid of taking a chance.

The family company feeling has always been present. Though some of these elements are difficult to quantify, clearly something is going very well as we have now tackled the Asian and American markets successfully. We've found a natural position at the high end of the US market.

An open, casual "fearless" culture can pay some unexpected benefits. A couple of our engineers were relaxing over a beer in the office one night loosely talking about design. One of them had his feet up on a filing cabinet, reclining comfortably in his chair. It dawned on them that a drawer would be the most efficient method for an automatic dishwasher. We went on to produce the unique and very successful DishDrawer dishwasher, a major hit worldwide!

Michael Church, chief operating officer,
Fisher & Paykel

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